'LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA  ' 

SAN  DIEGO 


Jack  threw  himself  on  tlio  wind.  —  I 


STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 


BY    THE    AUTHOR    OF 


"KATHERINE  MORRIS,"   "CLIMBING  AND  SLIDING," 
&c.,  &c. 


"  Strive  on !    Though  dark  and  wild  the  clouds, 

Behind  them  shines  the  sun. 
Strive  on !    By  steadfast  souls  alone 
Are  peace  and  victory  won." 


BOSTON: 
NICHOLS    AND     NOTES. 

1868. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  OongreM,  In  the  year  1867,  by 

NICHOLS  AMD   NOTES, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts 


CAMBRIDGE: 
«TKR«nTTPED  AND  PBINTXO  BT  JOHN  WILflOH  AND  SON. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTBH  PAGE 

I.    HANNAH  GORDON'S  TRIALS 1 

II.    HANNAH'S  PLEASURES 16 

HI.    HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY 25 

IV.    EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY 43 

V.    THE  OTHER  SIDE 68 

VI.    POOR  JACK 74 

TH.    VICTORY 83 

VIII.    VACATION 108 

IX.  MORE  RESULTS  FROM  DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC     .  120 

X.    PLAY-WORK 136 

XI.    COMPOUND  INTEREST,  OR  MORE 147 

XII.    THE  SEASHORE 161 

XIII.  CHANGES 188 

XIV.  "THE  GIRLS" 195 

XV.    THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR 206 

XVI.    "  GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING  " 219 

XVII.    "RICH  OR  POOR?" 233 

XVIII.    Two  KINDS  OF  REST 243 

XIX.    ANOTHER  CRUST • 253 

XX.  SIXTEEN                                          .    •    .             .261 


STRIVING    AND    GAINING. 
CHAPTER  I. 

HANNAH   GORDON'S   TRIALS. 

r INHERE  was  unusual  quiet  in  Mrs.  Gor- 
-*-  don's  nursery,  a  large  square  room, 
whose  notched  and  battered  furniture  and 
well-worn  carpet  gave  evidence  of  the  vast 
amount  of  youthful  spirit  and  energy  that 
had  been  exercised  upon  it.  It  was  a  pleas 
ant  room,  nevertheless,  in  its  aspect,  and  the 
windows  overlooked  the  distant  hills  and 
gleaming  river  on  one  side,  and,  on  the  other, 
houses  and  shops,  and  the  busy  life  of  a  large 
town. 

Hannah  Gordon,  the  eldest  daughter  and 
second  child  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon,  sat  at  a 
table,  writing  a  composition,  and  her  earnest 
attitude  and  knit  brows  showed  that  she  was 
intent  upon  her  task. 


2  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

All  the  little  Gordons  were  out,  with  one 
honorable  exception,  who  as  yet  had  not  been 
promoted  to  the  nursery.  The  two  boys  next 
in  age  to  Hannah,  Jack  and  Charlie,  twelve 
and  ten  years  old,  were  at  school ;  Emma  and 
Ellen,  seven  and  five,  had  gone  to  visit  their 
Aunt  Mary ;  Sam,  whose  second  birthday  was 
but  just  over,  had  gone  out  for  a  walk  with 
the  nurse ;  while  Walter,  a  little  red-faced 
mite  of  humanity  but  two  weeks  old,  was 
quietly  sleeping  beside  his  mother.  Babies 
were  no  rarity  in  Dr.  Gordon's  household,  but 
they  always  brought  plenty  of  love  in  the 
parents'  hearts,  and  most  Hproarious  demon 
strations  of  joy  from  Jack  and  Charlie,  in 
creased  in  the  present  case  by  the  sex  of  the 
new  aspirant  for  love  and  care. 

".Hurrah  for  the  boy  baby  ! "  said  Jack  ; 
"I'm  so  glad  he's  a  boy." 

"  Of  course,"  said  practical  Charlie,  "  he's  a 
boy ;  you  wouldn't  have  him  a  girl,  would 
you?" 

"  Well,  it,  then  ?  " 

"  Worse  and  worse.  Mamma  says  it's  an 
insult  to  call  a  baby  it."' 


HANNAH  GORDON'S  TRIALS.  3 

"  Oh,  bother  your  bettiness !  I'm  very  highly 
delighted  that  our  respected  baby  is  a  boy. 
Will  that  suit  your  dictionaryship  ?  Now 
we'll  make  the  girls  step  round.  Five  against 
three,  you  know." 

"  Counting  Frank  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure,  Frank's  a  boy,  isn't  he  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  but  then  he  won't  count  for  any 
thing  in  playing  and  teasing  the  girls.  You 
know  papa  calls  him  Judge  half  the  time." 

"  Can't  help  that,  —  he's  a  boy  all  the  same, 
and  likes  fun  occasionally,  as  well  as  the  rest 
of  us,  if  he  is  sixteen  years  old,  and  five  feet 
six  inches  high." 

Emma  and  Ellen  were  rather  disappointed 
that  the  new  comer  was  not  a  girl,  as  in  that 
case  they  would  have  looked  forward  to  future 
companionship,  whilst  now,  .from  their  expe 
rience  with  their  lively  brothers,  they  were 
disposed  to  regard  the  little  helpless  creature 
in  mamma's  bed  as  some  dangerous  animal  in 
disguise. 

As  for  Hannah,  she  had  said  to  her  father, 
with  a  sigh  of  resignation,  that  she  supposed 


4  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

there  was  no  help  for  it,  but  she  really  did 
hope  she  shouldn't  have  any  more  brothrrs. 

After  finishing  and  neatly  folding  and  mark 
ing  her  composition,  Hannah  put  up  her  writ 
ing  materials,  locked  her  desk,  and  sat  down 
by  the  broad  window-ledge,  looking  out  upon 
the  prospect  apparently,  but  in  reality  so  Imsy 
thinking  that  she  paid  no  heed  to  the  opening 
door  or  advancing  step,  and  was  only  made 
aware  that  she  was  no  longer  by  herself,  by 
hearing  her  father  say  in  kind  tones,  "  All 
alone,  dear?  The  house  seems  so  oppres 
sively  still,  I  have  been  looking  for  you,  and 
find  even  my  active  daughter  infected  with  its 
unusual  quiet." 

"  Yes,  papa :  I've  been  writing  my  compo 
sition,  and  am  tired.  Please  sit  here,"  offer 
ing,  as  she  spoke,  the  only  easy-chair  in  the 
room.  "  No,  not  there,  papa,"  in  answer  to  a 
motion  from  her  father  to  sit  upon  his  knee ; 
"  I  want  to  talk  and  look  at  you.  There,  this 
will  do  nicely,"  seating  herself  on  a  stool  at 
his  feet,  and  holding  one  of  his  hands  in  both 
hers. 


'There,  this  will  do  nio»-ly.v  —  I'agc  4. 


HANNAH   GORDON  S   TRIALS.  5 

"  This  is  pleasant,  papa.  It's  so  seldom  I 
have  you  to  myself,  and  I've  been  thinking 
that  to-morrow  will  be  my  birthday,  and  that 
in  two  years  I  shall  be  sixteen." 

Doctor  Gordon  smiled,  and  said,  "  What  an 
anxious  time  of  life  yours  is !  By  and  by  you 
will  not  be  in  such  haste  to  look  forward  two 
years.  You  are  big  enough  now,  and  old 
enough,  to  be  a  great  comfort  to  us,  when  "  — 

"  When  I'm  pleasant  and  happy,  I  suppose 
you  mean,  papa,  and  not  vexed  with  the 
others.  But  Jack  does  tease  me  so,  and  be 
side  —  indeed  and  indeed,  papa,  I  do  have  my 
troubles,  though  I  dare  say  they  don't  seem 
such  to  you." 

"  I  know  you  do,  dear,  and  I  know,  too,  that 
the  trials  of  the  young  are  not  light  to  them, 
however  they  may  appear  to  others.  But  let 
us  improve  our  rare  hour  of  quiet  this  after 
noon,  and  talk  over  these  .same  stumbling- 
blocks  in  the  way  of  your  happiness.  Per 
haps  we  shall  find,  upon  inspection,  that  the 
mountains  are  mole-hills,  that  a  little  reso 
lute  hop-skip  of  the  will  can  surmount." 


6  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that ;  it  would  take  a 
perpetual  hop-skip  to  surmount  Jack's  teasing, 
for  I  do  believe  he  keeps  it  up  all  the  time. 
He  is  always  calling  me  madam,  and  asking 
me  when  I  am  to  put  on  long  skirts  and  wear 
spectacles.  He  hides  my  things,  laughs  at 
and  mocks  my  pronunciation,  teases  me  about 
my  hair  and  ribbons  ;  and  worst  of  all,  ever 
since  I  wrote  part  of  the  original  dialogue  we 
had  iii  school,  calls  me  an  authoress.  Why, 
only  the  last  time  Howard  Grey  was  here,  he 
asked  him  if  he  knew  that  Hannah  was  an 
authoress  ?  and  when  he  laughed  and  said 
he  didn't,  Jack  told  him  I  was ;  and  that, 
beside  having  written  several  sonnets  to  cats 
and  birds,  I  had  lately  brought  out  a  comedy 
entitled  'All  is  not  Gold  that  Glitters.'  And 
Howard  laughed  so  that  I  couldn't  explain, 
and  Jack  never  told  the  rest.  Were  you  ever 
such  a  tease,  papa  ?  " 

"I  am  afraid  I  must  plead  guilty  to  hav 
ing  been  a  tease,  if  not  such  a  tease  as  poor 
Jack,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  his  Mue  eyes  fairly 
dancing  with  mirth,  at  the  remembrance  of 


HANNAH    GORDONS   TRIALS.  7 

some  boyish  pranks  his  daughter's  question 
called  to  mind.  "  Most  boys  of  life  and 
spirit  are  such,  though  I  must  own  that  at 
present  teasing  seems  to  be  Jack's  vocation, 
and  not  his  pastime.  But  it  is  only  a  vent 
for  his  exuberant  spirits.  He  does  not  mean 
to  be  ill-natured  or  cruel,  as  he  sometimes 
appears  to  you.  Join  him  in  the  laugh  at 
your  own  expense,  or  get  up,  to  speak  pro 
fessionally,  a  counter  irritation,  by  laughing 
at  him  in  turn." 

"  I  can't  always  do  that,  for  he  seems  cruel 
and  ill-natured  sometimes,  if  he  isn't." 

"  I  know  it ;  but  we  must  judge  of  the  intent 
of  acts  by  what  we  know  of  the  general  char 
acter.  Now,  I  never  knew  Jack  to  torment  a 
younger,  weaker  child  than  himself,  or  be  cruel 
to  animals  ;  and  as  for  yourself,  a  warmer- 
hearted  little  brother  is  not  to  be  found  than 
he  is.  You  cannot  have  forgotten  last  year's 
sickness,  or  how  devoted  Jack  was  to  you  ; 
repressing  his  noisy  mirth,  moving  lightly  for 
fear  of  disturbing  you,  ever  ready  to  run 
errands  in  your  behalf,  anxious  to  spend  his 


8  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

small  allowance  of  pocket-money  for  you,  and 
tears  even  standing  in  his  roguish  eyes  when 
told  that  you  were  too  sick  to  eat  any  thing." 

"  Oh,  no,  papa ;  I  have  not  forgotten  that  in 
deed,  though,  to  be  sure,  I  do  not  always  re 
member  it  at  the  right  time.  Perhaps,  if  I  go 
on,  you  will  smooth  away  all  my  difficulties,  and 
really  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  tell  you  my  next 
grievance,  it  seems  so  selfish  ;  and  yet  I  mean  to 
be  honest,  and  I  know,  papa,  you  will  tell  me 
if  it  is  so.  It  does  seem  sometimes  as  if  I 
never  could  have  any  time  to  myself,  I'm  so 
often  called  off  from  my  work  and  studies, 
and,  yes,"  in  answer  to  a  look  half  serious 
and  half  quizzical  from  her  father,  "  my  plea 
sures  too.  The  boys  and  the  little  ones  are 
continually  wanting  some  thing  done  for 
them,  and  you  know,  papa,  *  many  a  little 
makes  a  mickle,'  and  so  my  time  is  used  up, 
and  then  I  get  cross  with  them,  and  after 
wards  still  more  cross  with  myself ;  so  there's 
a  bad  state  of  things  generally.  Then,  an 
other  of  my  troubles  is,  and  this  I  know  you 
will  think  the  most  foolish  thing  of  all  for 


HANNAH   GORDON'S  TRIALS.  9 

me  to  care  about,  my  dress,  and  that  some 
of  the  girls  treat  me  coldly  because  I  wear 
plain  clothes,  and  because  we  are  not  rich. 
There,  it's  all  out  now  ;  I  mean  all  the  moun 
tains  ;  there  are  lots  of  little  mole-hills  be 
side.  I  hope  you  love  me  enough,  papa,  not 
to  think  I  am  very  weak." 

"  I  love  you  very  dearly,  my  child,  and  I 
can  understand  in  a  degree  why  these  things, 
really  so  unimportant  in  themselves,  trouble 
and  annoy  you  at  your  sensitive  age  and  with 
your  keen  feelings.  Let  us  consider  sepa 
rately  these  trials  of  yours.  I  believe  Jack's 
teasing  is  disposed  of ;  isn't  it  ?  —  that  is  to 
say,  the  ill-natured  aspect  of  it  is  removed, 
which  made  it  so  hard  to  be  borne  ?  " 

"  Yes,  papa :  I  suppose  I  must  call  it  a 
mole-hill  now,  though  it's  a  pretty  large  one." 

"  Very  well,  then,  the  numerous  calls  upon 
your  time  comes  next  upon  your  list,  and  to 
me  this  seems  really  the  highest  of  your 
mountains,  while  it  is  almost  unavoidable 
that  it  should  be  so,  as  you  are  the  eldest 
daughter,  and  the  one  to  whom,  next  to  your 


10  STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 

mother,  the  younger  ones  naturally  look  for 
help  and  counsel.  I  need  not  tell  you,  what 
you  so  well  know,  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
help  others,  or  to  remind  you  of  the  Saviour 
whose  life  and  death  has  taught  us  all  the 
exceeding  loveliness  of  self-sacrifice.  I  can 
give  you  no  other  rule  in  this  matter  than 
the  simple  one  that,  when  calls  upon  you 
interfere  with  positive  duties  that  cannot  be 
postponed,  or  needed  recreation,  you  must 
give  your  reasons  for  not  responding  to  them, 
in  a  spirit  that  will  leave  no  douht  upon  the 
minds  of  the  little  petitioners  of  your  readiness 
to  aid  them.  And  an  offset  to  these  demands 
upon  you  may  be  found  in  the  knowledge 
that  you  are  helping  your  mother,  already, 
from  the  delicate  state  of  her  health,  so  much 
over-taxed  in  this  noisy  household  of  ours." 

"  I  never  forget  that,  papa,  and  that  is  why, 
or  one  reason  why,  I  am  so  vexed  with  my 
self  for  being  impatient  with  the  other  chil 
dren." 

"  Well,  Hannah,  my  dear,  if  that  is  the  case, 
you  are  in  a  fair  way  to  lessen  the  grievance. 


HANNAH   GORDON'S   TRIALS.  11 

If  you  thought  yourself  justified  in  being  un 
kind  and  disobliging,  I  should  not  easily  know 
where  to  find  a  remedy  for  you  ;  as  it  is,  I 
think  I  can  safely  leave  the  matter  to  your 
conscience. 

"  And  now  for  the  third  trouble  I  hardly 
know  what  to  say.  Here,  at  least,  your 
mother  would  be  a  wiser  counsellor  for  you, 
as  I  attach  so  very  little  importance  to  dress, 
if  it  is  neat  and  becoming,  and  am  not  versed 
in  the  feminine  estimate  of  its  consequence. 
Don't  look  disappointed,  dear.  I  dare  say  it 
is  a  real  grievance  to  you.  I  only  say  I  can 
not  understand  about  it ;  still  less  why  you 
should  care  for  the  warmth  or  the  coldness 
of  girls  who  value  you  by  the  richness  of  your 
clothes,  or  the  amount  of  your  father's  in 
come. 

" '  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that,  and  a'  that,' 
and  so  is  a  girl  a  girl,  &c.,  and  my  big 
daughter,  who  will  '  be  sixteen  in  two  years,' 
knows  that  it  is  character,  and  not  the 
*  guinea  stamp,'  that  makes  the  person.  Very 
likely,  too,  half  the  coldness  you  speak  of  is 


12  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

fancied.  Two  or  three  purse-proud  girls,  with 
no  real  appreciation  of  that  which  entitles 
another  to  consideration  and  respect,  treat 
you  coldly,  because  their  dress  is  of  finer 
texture  or  more  costly  material  than  yours, 
and  you  take  it  for  granted  that  all  who  are 
richer  than  yourself  share  the  feeling,  —  most 
unjustly  too  ;  for  your  dearest  friend,  Helen 
Ashton,  is  not  only  the  daughter  of  one  of 
our  richest,  but  also  one  of  our  most  Chris 
tian  and  most  highly  educated,  men." 

"  Oh,  Helen  is  a  girl  almost  by  herself. 
She  is  so  noble  and  generous  in  every  thing 
she  thinks  or  does.  I  don't  believe,  papa, 
she  ever  did  a  mean  thing  in  her  life ! " 

"  I  believe  your  friend  is  all  you  say,  Han 
nah,  for  she  has  an  inheritance  of  nobility 
of  nature ;  still  I  doubt  not  there  are  others 
who,  if  less  noble  than  Helen,  are  far  less 
narrow-minded  than  you  think  them.  And 
even  if  they  are  not  so,  you  surely  have 
friends  enough  without  caring  for  the  notice 
of  those  whose  standard  of  worth  is  based 
merely  upon  money." 


HANNAH   GORDON'S   TRIALS.  13 

"  It  isn't  for  myself  only  that  I  care,  papa  ; 
for  of  course  no  one  dares  to  be  very  rude  to 
Dr.  Gordon's  daughter  if  he  isn't  rich ;  but 
they  are  some  of  them  so  cruel  to  Lydia  Har 
ris.  You  know  she  is  trying  to  get  an  educa 
tion,  so  that  she  can  be  a  teacher ;  and  it  so 
happens  that  all  the  girls  in  her  class  are  in  a 
different  position  in  society  from  herself, — 
and  they  do  treat  her  shamefully  sometimes. 
It  was  only  the  other  day  we  had  an  example 
in  arithmetic  about  measurement,  and  Lydia 
was  the  only  one  that  had  a  perfectly  correct 
answer,  and  Eva  Barton  said,  of  course  she 
would  be  familiar  with  such  examples,  as  her 
father  is  a  carpenter." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  hope  she  is  not  ashamed 
of  that  fact,  as  I  know  few  more  worthy  and 
really  refined  men  than  Mr.  Harris." 

"  No,  indeed :  not  she  ;  but  Eva  meant  it 
unkindly,  and  that  was  the  reason  it  dis 
turbed  her." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  can  only  advise  you 
and  Lydia,  and  all  young  or  old,  who  are 
tried  as  many  now  are  by  the  varying  fortunes 


14  STRTVTXG   AND  GAINING. 

and  unsettled  state  of  society  in  this  countiy, 
to  stand  firm  upon  a  proper  self-respect, 
neither  imagining  slights  that  do  not  exist, 
nor  over-estimating  their  importance  when  they 
do,  and  always  to  remember  that,  sooner  or 
later,  character  tells  in  a  community,  —  even 
the  character  of  a  child.  But  yonder  are  the 
boys  rushing  homewards  as  if  fearful  that  we 
are  suffering  from  the  interval  of  quiet  we 
have  enjoyed  so  much.  I  hope  I  have  given 
you  a  little  comfort,  my  darling;  but  the 
truth  is,  we  most  of  us,  big  and  little,  have  to 
solve  these  hard  problems  of  life  for  ourselves, 
or  else  what  is  far  bettor,  lean  in  faith  on 
Him  who  is  able  to  guide  us  in  all  our  ways. 
If  I  have  only  given  you  a  little  help  towards 
that,  I  shall  be  glad.  Ah,  what  now,  Jack  ? 
have  you  forgotten  so  soon  that  Dr.  Gordon 
said  there  must  be  no  noise  in  the  house?". 


HANNAH'S  PLEASURES.  15 


CHAPTER  II. 

HANNAH'S  PLEASURES. 

,  I  did  forget,  papa,  I  keep  forgetting 
all  the  time  about  our  new  boy.  Is 
it  because  his  ears  are  so  little  that  a  noise 
hurts  him  ?  I  hope  he'll  hurry  up  and  grow 
so  that  he  can  play  with  us.  Why,  Sam  is 
learning  to  play  ball.  The  trouble  is,  he's  so 
fat  and  shaky,  and  throws  the  ball  so  hard, 
that  he  usually  goes  over  with  it.  It's  jolly 
fun  to  see  him  scrabble  up  and  try  it  again. 
How  are  you,  Miss  Gordon  ?  Beg  your  pardon 
for  not  seeing  you.  Have  you  been  engaged 
in  literary  labors?  Oh,  yes:  I  see  the  ink- 
spots  on  your  fingers.  You  ought  to  give 
Howard  Grey  a  poem  to  carry  back  with  him 
to  school,  so  that  the  people  abroad  may  know 
what  a  poetess  Wellwood  can  boast." 

All  this  was  rattled  off  by  Jack  in  answer 


16  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

to  his  father's  question.  Dr.  Gordon  and 
Hannah  exchanged  looks,  and  smiled  at  this 
speedy  confirmation  of  the  latter's  statement, 
but  neither  noticed  it  in  any  other  way.  Han 
nah  only  thought  how  foolish  she  had  been 
ever  to  care  for  such  nonsense,  and  to  more 
than  half  suspect  that  she  had  made  mountains 
out  of  mole-hills. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  "  run  out 
in  the  garden,  and  work  or  play  awhile.  I'm 
going  for  the  little  ones,  and  Hannah  with  me, 
so  I  must  put  you  upon  your  honor  to  be 
quiet.  Run,  boys,  run ;  and  run,  Hannah) 
and  get  ready." 

To  hurry  up-stairs,  knock  softly  at  her 
mother's  door  to  let  her  know  where  she  was 
going,  put  on  her  outside  garments,  and  run 
down  again  to  her  father,  was  the  work  of 
very  few  moments;  for  Dr.  Gordon,  him 
self  one  of  the  busiest  of  men,  had  taught 
his  children  that  promptness  and  despatch 
insured  them  many  a  favor  that  idling 
and  delay  would  forfeit.  One  spring,  and 
Hannah  was  beside  her  father,  and  Derby 


HANNAH'S  PLEASURES.  17 

was  off  in  a  swift  trot  in  the  direction  of 
Aunt  Mary's. 

A  warm  welcome  from  her  aunt,  and  the 
loving  little  sisters  who  had  been  away  from 
home  a  week,  greeted  her.  "  How's  baby  ? 
has  he  growed  any,  Hanny  ?  "  asked  Emma, 
while  Ella  lisped,  "  Has  he  dot  a  name,  and  is 
he  'eal  dood  ?  " 

"  Yes,  pets  :  he  has  grown,  and  his  name  is 
Walter,  and  he  is  real  good  and  sweet  and 
lovely.  Come,  hurry,  little  ones  ;  Dr.  Gordon 
is  waiting  to  go  and  see  a  poor  sick  woman, 
and  we  mustn't  keep  him." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Emma,  "  I  thought  Papa 
Gordon  was  coming  for  us.  I  do  hope  he  will 
be  at  home  to-night  to  kiss  us  good-night  and 
have  a  frolic." 

"  'Es,"  echoed  Ella,  "  dood  night,  tiss  papa," 

"  You  shall  have  the  kisses  now,  darlings, 
with  compound  interest,  and  the  frolic  too," 
taking  up  first  one  and  then  another,  and  cov 
ering  the  little,  soft,  rosy  faces  with  kisses. 

"  'At'll  do,  papa,"  said  the  little  one,  "  ou 

picks  Ella." 

2 


18  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Saucy  one  !  —  Come,  kiss  auntie,  and 
we'll  be  off." 

"  Any  grist  for  the  mill  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  *  two  bags  full ; '  one  for  mamma 
and  one  for  papa ; "  and,  throwing  a  child 
over  each  shoulder,  Dr.  Gordon  made  his  exit 
from  the  house,  amid  the  laughter  of  Aunt 
Mary  and  Hannah,  and  the  screams  of  delight 
of  Emma  and  Ella. 

"  I  declare,"  he  exclaimed,  panting  as  if 
excessively  fatigued,  as  he  put  the  children 
into  the  chaise,  after  Hannah,  "  what  a  heavy 
grist !  Step  along,  Derby,  at  your  best  pace." 

Arrived  at  home,  he  said,  "  Tell  mamma  I 
couldn't  stop,  as  old  Mrs.  Blake  is  sick,  and  the 
ride  is  long  ;  and  give  me  one  more  good-night 
kiss,  little  ones,  as  I  shall  not  be  at  home  till 
the  little  curtains  are  shut  over  your  eyes." 

"  But  who'll  hear  our  prayers  then,  papa,  if 
mamma  is  sick  ?  "  asked  Emma,  anxiously. 

"  God  always  hears  your  prayers,  dear,  and 
.Hannah  will  come  up  to  you  as  mamma  used 
to  do.  Send  Jack  and  Charlie  out  to  me, 
Hannah,  and  don't  wait  tea  too  long,  though 


HANNAH'S  PLEASURES.  19 

I'll  try  and  be  back  by  seven.  Here,  boys,  I 
want  you  to  eat  your  supper  to-night  with  the 
little  ones,  as  I  shall  be  late,  and  then  you 
may  take  your  books,  and  sit  down  quietly 
to  read.  And,  mind,  don't  betray  any  of  to 
morrow's  surprises." 

"  Oh,  must  we,  papa  ?  "  in  the  first  breath, 
and  then,  "  Well,  if  you  wish  it,"  and  "  No,  in 
deed,"  in  the  second,  were  the  words  sounding 
in  Dr.  Gordon's  ears,  as  he  drove  off,  saying 
to  himself,  "  Good  boys  on  the  whole ;  good 
children,  all  of  them ;  plenty  of  faults,  and 
the  material  for  plenty  of  virtues.  The  ground 
where  weeds  won't  grow  isn't  worth  cul 
tivating.  All  we  have  to  do  is  to  root  them 
out  as  fast  as  they  appear,  and  then  put  in 
the  wheat  and  flowers." 

Hannah's  conversation  with  her  father  had 
given  her  a  brighter  view  of  her  life  than  she 
was  apt  to  have,  and  had  also  determined  her 
to  try  to  bear  with  patience  the  demands  made 
upon  her  by  the  younger  children.  But  it 
was  far  from  easy  to  put  her  good  resolutions 
in  practice  that  very  night,  when  a  heavy  de- 


20  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

mand  was  made  upon  her.  Perhaps  older 
persons  than  Hannah  have  found  that  the 
moment  of  exhilaration  after  making  a  good 
resolution  is  not  the  most  favorable  for  put 
ting  it  in  practice.  However  that  may  be, 
it  certainly  never  was  more  difficult  for  Han 
nah  to  bear  the  noise  of  the  boys,  the  almost 
ceaseless  questions  of  the  little  ones,  and  the 
confusion  consequent  thereupon,  than  it  was 
that  evening,  two  hours  or  less  after  her  firm 
resolutions  upon  the  subject.  Bear  it  she  did, 
however,  bravely,  and  she  found  the  victory 
worth  the  struggle  it  cost  her,  in  the  con 
sciousness  of  having  done  right.  She  remem 
bered,  too,  that  she  had  often  heard  her  father 
say,  that  youthful  spirits  were  like  the  steam  in 
a  tea-kettle :  let  it  sing  merrily  at  spout  and 
cover,  and  no  harm  is  done ;  but  stop  them  up, 
and  an  explosion  is  sure  to  follow,  which  does 
harm  to  more  than  the  poor  kettle. 

So,  although  Jack  choked  two  or  three  times 
in  his  efforts  to  suppress  a  laugh  upon  some 
subject  that  seemed  to  divert  him  greatly, 
while  Charlie  somewhat  loudly  remonstrated 


HANNAH'S  PLEASURES.  21 

with  him,  and  Emma  and  Ella  laughed  and 
prattled  quite  beyond  ordinary  supper  rules, 
she  didn't  lose  her  patience  or  temper,  but 
kindly  strove  to  keep  the  din  within  bounds 
as  much  as  possible. 

The  meal  was  over  at  last,  the  boys  took 
their  books  and  sat  by  the  table  to  read  as 
their  father  had  requested,  and  Hannah  went 
up-stairs  with  her  little  sisters,  and  in  hearing 
their  simple  prayers  and  the  sweet  childish 
prattle  that  followed  found  herself  soothed  and 
rested.  Then  she  had  a  quiet  half-hour  with 
her  mother,  while  the  nurse  went  below  to 
prepare  her  tea ;  and  after  that  were  the  few 
finishing  touches  to  be  put  to  the  sitting-room, 
which  was  also  the  dining-room  and  library, 
to  make  every  thing  bright  and  cheery  for 
her  tired  father  when  he  should  return  home. 

These  duties  attended  to,  she  sat  waiting 
for  her  father,  and  was  soon  rewarded  by 
hearing  Derby's  quick  trot  on  the  drive,  and 
a  moment  after  her  father  came  in. 

"  Here  I  am,  Hannah.  I'll  run  up  to  see 
mamma  a  moment,  and  meantime  please  tell 


22  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

Bridget  to  bring  in  tea,  —  some  cold  meat  too, 
if  there  is  any.  My  drive  and  the  cold  east 
wind  have  given  me  a  fearful  appetite." 

"  Two  great  and  rare  privileges  in  one 
day,"  thought  Hannah,  after  she  had  carefully 
waited  upon  her  father  at  the  tea-table.  "  A 
nice  quiet  chat  with  papa,  and  tea  with  him 
too,  all  by  ourselves." 

"  I've  been  thinking,  papa,  while  I  was  wait 
ing  for  you  and  resting,"  she  said,  after  the 
boys  had  gone  to  bed  and  they  were  once 
more  left  to  themselves,  "  that  my  privileges 
and  my  pleasures  are  far  greater  and  more 
than  my  troubles." 

'•  Why,  yes,  dear:  I  should  hope  so,  as,  in 
case  you  had  not  made  the  discovery,  I  should 
call  you  a  most  unreasonable  little  woman. 
This  bright  and  pleasant  if  not  luxurious 
home;  the  fond  love  of  your  parents;  the 
affection  of  your  brothers  and  sisters ;  the  lively 
mirth  of  the  younger  ones,  whose  noise  and 
prattle  give  so  much  life  to  the  household, 
and  an  added  value  to  rare  hours  of  quiut ; 
the  keen  enjoyment  which  an  active,  intelli- 


HANNAH'S  PLEASURES.  23 

gent  young  mind  takes  in  study ;  the  com 
panionship  of  a  dear  friend ;  a  pleasant  if  not 
very  large  circle  of  acquaintance ;  and  above 
and  beyond  all  these,  because  himself  cause 
and  centre  of  all,  the  love  and  protecting  care 
of  the  Heavenly  Father :  all  this,  and,  beside 
all  this,  the  privilege  of  ministering  to  others, 
thereby  following  the  example  of  Him  who 
came  on  earth,  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but 
to  minister." 

"  Yes,  papa  :  I  am  just  beginning  to  realize 
that  the  power  to  do  for  others  is  a  pleasure, 
but  I  cannot  quite  seem  to  feel  as  if  God 
cared  for  me." 

"  And  yet  we  are  told  that  he  careth  for 
the  lilies  of  the  field,  and  the  birds  of  the 
air.  How  much  more,  then,  for  us,  beings 
with  immortal  souls,  whom  his  own  will  has 
created  !  Never  doubt  that,  child,  even  if  you 
cannot  fully  grasp  the  idea  of  your  Heavenly 
Father's  all-embracing  love.  Fully  grasp  it, 
you  never  can  here ;  but  you  cun  form  some 
idea  of  it  by  what  you  know  of  an  earthly 
parent's  love,  which  is  always  deep  enough  for 


24  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

the  largest  demands  made  upon  it.  How 
much  greater,  then,  your  Heavenly  Father's ! 
Think  of  this,  dear,  when  your  mind  falters 
in  the  vain  attempt  to  measure  the  all-per 
vading  love  of  the  Father,  and  think,  too,  of 
all  the  free  gifts  he  has  showered  down  upon 
the  humblest  and  lowest  of  his  children, — 
life,  home,  friends ;  the  fair  world  teeming 
with  beauty  and  splendor,  abounding  in  every 
thing  that  can  comfort  the  heart  and  gladden 
the  eye." 

"  Sometimes,  papa,  I  can  feel  that  it  is  as 
you  say,  and  that  God  is  near  even  to  me, 
but  oftener  I  wonder  how  he  can  care  for 
every  one  of  us,  and  then  I  get  puzzled." 

"  Then  try  and  speculate  as  little  as  pos 
sible  upon  a  subject  which  puzzles  you.  The 
Saviour  has  revealed  God  to  us  as  a  tender, 
loving,  and  just  Father,  and  as  such  let  us 
love  and  worship  him.  And  one  thing  we 
must  all  bear  in  mind,  that  whoever  would 
know  of  the  Father  must  do  his  will.  Doing 
his  will  will  bring  us  near  to  him,  far  nearer 
than  idle  attempts  to  fathom  an  infinite  with 
our  finite  nature." 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  25 

CHAPTER  III. 

HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY. 

nnilE  sun  shone  brightly,  the  air  was  soft 
-*-  and  balmy,  on  the  morning  of  Hannah 
Gordon's  fourteenth  birthday.  Within  was  the 
early  stir  of  busy  little  feet  and  the  sound  of 
merry  voices,  while  soap  and  water,  combs  and 
brushes,  were  called  into  requisition,  to  make 
rosy  cheeks  still  more  rosy,  and  smooth, 
tangled  locks.  Without,  the  grass  gleamed 
with  its  freshest  verdure,  gardens  and  orchards 
were  one  mass  of  bloom  from  apple,  pear,  and 
peach  trees,  while  the  ground  was  white  with 
the  parting  benediction  of  falling  cherry  bios-* 
soms,  and  the  birds  were  singing  their  morn 
ing  hymn  of  praise  and  joy  in  their  loudest, 
fullest  notes. 

Hannah  stood  several  minutes  at  her  open 
window,  looking  out  upon  the  lovely  scene,  her 
heart  swelling  with  grateful  emotions,  and 
sending  up  silent  prayer  to  the  Giver  of  all 


26  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

good  and  beauty  ;  for  to  Dr.  Gordon's  children 
the  worship  and  love  of  the  Heavenly  Father 
was  not  confined  to  set  times  and  seasons, 
although  such  were  always  observed.  They 
had  been  taught  from  their  earliest  childhood, 
that  is,  as  soon  as  their  minds  were  capable  of 
receiving  impressions  of  love  and  care,  to  asso 
ciate  the  idea  of  God  with  all  their  blessings 
and  pleasures,  and  to  render  to  him  the  sim 
ple"  homage  of  loving  and  reverent  hearts. 
And  on  this  beautiful  morning,  the  beginning 
of  a  new  year  of  life  and  hope  and  antici 
pation,  Hannah  no  longer  felt  any  difficulty  in 
realizing  the  nearness  of  her  Heavenly  Father, 
or  his  care  and  love  for  her. 

"  Yes,"  she   said  softly :  "  the  heavens  re- 

*joice,  the  earth  is  glad,  the  field  is  joyful,  and 

all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice.     How  much 

more,  then,  should  I,  who  have  so  much,  so 

very  much,  to  be  grateful  for  !  " 

When  the  family  met  soon  after  the  morn 
ing-prayers,  the  jubilant  spirit  of  praise  that 
animated  all  hearts  found  fitting  response  in 
the  one  hundred  and  fourth  psalm,  selected 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  27 

by  Dr.  Gordon  for  the  morning  reading,  be 
ginning,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul !  0  Lord, 
my  God,  thou  art  very  great ;  thou  art  clothed 
with  honor  and  majesty." 

The  few  words  of  comment  upon  the  read 
ing,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making,  were 
so  simple  and  clear  that  the  youngest  child 
could  either  learn  a  direct  lesson  from  it,  or 
at  least  catch  its  spirit. 

This  service  over,  Hannah  was  almost  deaf 
ened  with  the  wishes  of  "  Happy  birthday  " 
from  all  the  children,  after  which  they  trooped 
into  breakfast  in  the  finest  spirits  imaginable, 
without  one  of  the  number  (as  was  sometimes 
the  case)  being  out  of  temper  or  even  fretful. 

"  Charlie,"  said  his  father,  when  breakfaet 
was  over,  "  run  up  to  mamma,  with  papa's 
compliments,  and  say  that  we  shall  be  happy 
to  pay  her  a  visit  as  soon  as  convenient,  and 
stay,  just  whisper  in  Mrs.  Blake's  ear  to  make 
haste,  for  Dr.  Gordon  has  a  great  deal  to  do 
this  morning,  and  must  be  off  early  on  his 
rounds." 

"  What!  all  ready  so  soon  ?  "  as  Charlie  came 


28  STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 

back,  two  stairs  at  a  time,  almost  immediately, 
to  report  that  mamma,  with  her  love,  would 
be  happy  to  receive  visitors  at  once :  "  Come, 
Hannah  and  little  ones,  follow  in  order  of  age, 
except  Sam,  who  is  to  have  his  favorite  perch 
on  papa's  shoulder." 

"  Here  we  are,  mamma,  at  your  service,  a 
goodly  company  of  us,  if  I  do  say  it,  who 
shouldn't  ?  Bless  me,  has  the  prince  got  his 
eyes  open  in  honor  of  the  occasion  ?  "  The 
baby  in  the  family  had  always  been  called  the 
prince  by  the  doctor,  because,  he  said,  the 
youngest  was  always  the  ruler  of  mamma,  and, 
through  her,  of  the  rest. 

Mrs.  Gordon  was  sitting  up  in  her  bed, 
propped  up  with  pillows,  the  flush  on  her 
cheeks  rivalling  the  color  of  the  ribbons  on 
her  cap ;  and  after  a  kiss  from  all  the  children 
she  said,  "  Jack,  if  you  haven't  exploded 
before  this  time,  you  shall  be  rewarded  with 
taking  the  cloth  off  this  little  table." 

"  No,  indeed,  all  right  and  tight.  I've  kept 
the  steam  in  ;  only  laughed  and  choked  a  little 
now  and  then,  as  a  safety-valve.  Off  comes 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  29 

the  cloth,  and  appears  —  gifts  for  Miss  Gor 
don  ! " 

"Oh,  how  beautiful,  this  vase  and  these 
flowers,  from  you,  mamma  ?  I  know  you 
painted  the  vase.  Work-box  from  Aunt  Mary, 
with  love ;  oh,  oh,  box  filled  with  drawing 
materials,  colored  crayons  and  all ;  oh,  papa !  " 
aud  here  Hannah  broke  down  in  a  little  laugh, 
which  ended  in  a  sob ;  and  Jack  took  up  the 
word,  and  went  on,  "And  a  photograph  in  a 
frame,  to  hang  up,  of  Frank  Gordon,  Esq., 
otherwise  Judge  Gordon,  and  letter  from  the 
same  ;  also  a  graduated  ruler  from  Charlie  ; 
also  a  box  of  colored  silks  and  a  spool-bag 
from  Emma  and  Ella  ;  also  a  big  sugar  heart 
(which  he  would  very  much  like  to  eat  him 
self)  ,  from  Sam ;  also  a  box  of  candy  from 
Prince  Walter  ;  also  this  from  —  I  declare 
there's  never  a  label  on  it.  Perhaps  Howard 
Grey  sent  it."  "  This "  proved  to  be  two 
photographs  in  a  frame,  made  to  fold  together, 
—  one  representing  a  young  lady  in  the  ex 
treme  of  the  fashion ;  the  other  a  thin,  lank, 
spectacled  young  woman,  with  a  book  in  her 


30  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

hand ;  the  first  labelled  matter,  the  second 
mind.  Hannah's  countenance  fell  for  a  mo 
ment,  but,  rallying  herself  directly,  she  joined 
in  her  father's  hearty  laugh,  and  asked, 
"  Which  shall  I  take  for  my  model,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Neither,  unless  you  prefer  them  to  this, 
that  I  heard  you  say  one  day  was  the  desire 
of  your  heart,"  said  Jack,  producing,  from 
under  mamma's  pillow,  "  Evangeline." 

"  And  you  have  saved  up  your  money  to  get 
this  for  me,  you  good,  naughty  Jack !  And  it 
has  a  companion-frame  to  Frank's  picture. 
Ah,  Jack,  Jack !  How  shall  I  thank  you  all  ?  " 

"  Don't  try  to  do  it,  I  beg,"  said  her  father, 
"  unless  you  wish  to  see  my  longest  profes 
sional  face,  for  I  can't  wait  five  minutes." 

"  And  I'm  tired,  and  baby  wants  his  bath," 
said  Mrs.  Gordon,  "  so  please  a  kiss  all  round 
for  mamma,  and  then  be  off  all  of  you,  except 
Hannah,  who  may  wait  to  clear  off  my  table, 
so  encumbered  with  her  possessions." 

"  A  fair  challenge,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  "  and 
one  to  which  I  most  heartily  respond  ;  now, 
children,  follow  suit,  and  follow  me." 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  31 

"  But  mamma  didn't  mean  you,"  said 
Emma  ;  "  she  meant  us  children." 

"  Very  well,  she  should  state  her  meaning 
more  distinctly  then.  Good-by.  Oh  !  I  invite 
you  all,  mamma  and  prince  and  the  rest,  to 
meet  me  on  the  front  piazza  this  afternoon  at 
four  o'clock." 

"  How  funny,"  said  Emma,  "  when  he  knows 
neither  mamma  nor  baby  can  come !  " 

With  a  light  step  and  happy  heart  Hannah 
went  to  school  that  morning,  and  acquitted 
herself  with  her  usual  faithfulness  in  her  stud 
ies,  notwithstanding  the  strong  temptation 
there  was  for  her  busy  mind  to  wander  to  her 
birthday  gifts,  and  to  the  afternoon's  surprise 
in  store  for  her.  Dinner  was  on  the  table 
when  she  came  home  from  school,  and  her 
father  had  not  returned  ;  so  she  found  abundant 
calls  upon  her  time  in  attending  to  the  chil 
dren,  whose  spirits  were  still  somewhat  of  the 
liveliest  order. 

"  What  can  papa  want  of  us  this  after 
noon  ?  "  said  Charlie.  "  I  guess  it  is  only  to 
see  Hannah  start  off  for  a  drive  with  him." 


82  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Papa  never  would  cheat  us  ao,"  said 
Emma,  indignantly. 

"  Cheat!  —  who  said  any  thing  ahout  cheat 
ing,  little  one  ?  "  inquired  Jack,  patronizingly. 

"  Charlie  said  just  the  same,  for  papa  knows 
we  all  expect  something  pleasant,  and  if  we 
don't  have  it,  we  shall  be  sorry  and  disap 
pointed." 

"  Oh,  it  wasn't  pleasant  then  to  see  Hannah 
receive  her  presents  this  morning,"  pursued 
her  tormentor. 

"  That  was  quite  different,  and  you  know  it, 
Jack,"  said  Emma,  very  surely  and  positively. 

"  True  for  you  "  was  the  answer ;  "  now  I 
guess  we're  all  to  have  a  walk  in  the  woods." 

"  And  I,"  said  Emma,  "  that  papa  will  get 
a  carryall,  and  take  us  out." 

"  It  surely  will  be  a  carryall  if  it  takes  all  : 
what  do  you  think,  Hannah  ?  " 

"Who?  I?  Oh,  I  think  it  is  excellent! 
when  did  he  have  it  taken  ?  " 

This  not  exactly  appropriate  reply  elicited 
shouts  of  laughter  from  the  rest,  and  the  ex 
clamation  from  Jack,  "  Don't  disturb  her,  she's 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  33 

composing  a  poem,  or  thinking  of  Howard 
Grey's  tintype  which  I  saw  this  morning  in 
her  album." 

"For  shame,  Jack!"  said  Hannah,  half 
laughing,  half  inclined  to  be  vexed,  "I  was 
thinking  of  Frank's  photograph." 

"  I  dess,"  said  Ella,  speaking  quite  loud,  as 
if  determined  upon  proving  her  right  to  a  voice 
in  the  matter,  "  that  we's  all  to  have  a  lot  of 
tandy  and  sugar-plums." 

This  "  guess "  was  received  with  another 
shout,  which  Ella  was  at  a  loss  whether  to 
join  in,  or  cry  about,  but  finally  mirth  proved 
contagious,  and  her  voice  joined  the  rest, 
while  Charlie  remarked,  in  his  usual  grave 
manner,  that  he  didn't  think  papa  would  call 
them  all  out  on  the  piazza  for  that  purpose. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Hannah,  rising,  "  that  four 
o'clock  will  decide  the  question ;  and  now, 
boys,  it  is  time  for  you  to  be  off  to  school. 
I'm  going  to  sit  with  mamma  awhile,  and  then 
I'll  come  to  the  nursery  to  see  you,"  turning 
towards  the  little  girls,  who  were  eagerly  look 
ing  up  at  her. 


84  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

It  was  three  o'clock  before  Hannah  found 
leisure  to  go  to  her  own  room.  Then  she  had 
a  history-lesson  to  learn,  to  put  on,  at  her  moth 
er's  request,  her  pretty  blue  dress,  as  Aunt 
Maria  was  expected  to  tea,  —  and  then,  surely 
then,  she  had  a  few  spare  moments  in  which 
to  look  over  her  new  treasures;  and  in  this 
pleasure  she  became  so  absorbed,  that  the  hull- 
clock  struck  four  without  her  hearing  it,  and 
she  was  only  recalled  to  a  sense  of  the  time 
by  hearing  Jack's  flying  step  on  the  stairs, 
and  his  voice  saying,  "  Hannah,  where  are 
you  ?  Papa  sends  his  compliments,  and  says 
the  coach  is  waiting.  Oh,  it's  so  jolly !  why 
didn't  you  come  down  ?  " 

"  I  will  be  down  almost  as  soon  as  you  are," 
snatching  up,  as  she  spoke,  her  sack  and  hat. 

"  One,  two,  buckle  my  shoe, 
Three,  four,  open  the  door," 

shouted  Jack,  throwing  wide  the  door,  and 
displaying  to  Hannah's  view  a  handsome  ba 
rouche  with  two  silver-gray  horses  before  the 
piazza,  her  father  walking  back  and  forth,  and 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  35 

the  children  all  dressed  for  a  drive,  running, 
laughing,  and  talking,  in  the  highest  glee. 

"  Shall  I  have  the  pleasure,  Miss  Gordon, 
of  taking  you  out  for  a  drive  ?  Jump  in  first. 
Here  goes,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  piling  in  one 
after  the  other. 

"  Everybody  in  there  make  room  for  every 
body  else  and  for  papa.  Here,  Jack,  up  with 
you  beside  the  driver.  Now,  Mr.  Carter,"  to 
the  colored  man  who  sat  on  the  box,  reins  in 
hand,  displaying  his  teeth  to  the  children,  as 
they  looked  up  at  him  with  gleeful  faces,  "  give 
us  an  hour's  drive  out  into  the  real  country, 
over  the  old  turnpike,  and  back  by  the  sea 
shore.  We  want  a  good  look  at  the  orchards 
on  Pleasant  Hill,  where  we  shall  have  acres 
instead  of  rods  of  blossoms  and  greenness. 
Bless  me,  Ella ! 

"  There  was  an  old  woman  who  lived  in  a  shoe, 
And  she  had  so  many  children  she  didn't  know  what  to  do." 

That's  fast  getting  to  be  my  case,  I'm  afraid. 
Now  be  sure  and  enjoy  yourselves,  don't  be 
afraid  to  laugh  and  talk,  provided  you  don't 
frighten  the  horses." 


86  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Such  a  needful  injunction,  the  first,  papa," 
said  Hannah.  "  One  would  think  it  was  all 
the  Gordons'  birthday  from  the  spirits  they 
have." 

"  Oh,  how  dood  it  is ! "  said  Ella,  sliding 
down  from  Hannah's  lap,  and  jumping  up 
and  down  clapping  her  little  hands  in  the 
overflowing  of  her  cup  of  joy. 

"  Yes,  darling,"  said  Dr.  Gordon :  "  you  have 
got  the  right  word.  'And  God  looked  upon 
every  thing  that  he  had  made,  and  behold  it 
was  good.'  That  we  can  all  understand,  and 
that  we  can  all  strive  to  be,  —  good.  Do  you 
know,  Hannah,  how  much  that  little  word  of 
four  letters,  which  a  person  who  aimed  at  fine 
writing  would  despise,  means  ?  what  a  host  of 
meanings  it  has,  rather,  so  that,  in  reality,  one 
half-hour's  circumlocution  and  exhaustion  of 
fine  phrases  could  not  have  expressed  what 
we  are  looking  upon  and  enjoying,  as  this 
little  one  of  our  Heavenly  Father's  has  uncon 
sciously  done  in  her  one  word  ?  " 

*'  No,  papa :  I  do  not  think  I  know  quite  all 
its  meanings :  I  never  thought  about  it  before 
in  that  way." 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  37 

"  Look  it  up,  then,  sometime  ;  and  you  too, 
Charlie,  who  are  all  ready  to  argue  the  point. 
Another  time  will  do.  Never  undertake  to 
combat  till  your  weapons  are  all  sharp,  and  fit 
for  use." 

Yes,  it  was  good,  all  of  it :  the  easy  motion 
of  the  pleasant  carriage,  as  the  horses,  with 
arched  necks  and  prancing  feet,  drew  them 
swiftly  over  the  level  road  through  the  town 
by  its  stately  or  humble  homes,  almost  every 
one  of  which  had  its  garden  with  fruit  and  or 
namental  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers,  over  the 
open  marsh,  through  which  the  turnpike  ran ; 
then  up  a  gradual  ascent  to  a  more  hilly  re 
gion,  past  pleasant  rural  homes  and  quiet 
farms,  riding  through  and  looking  down  upon 
fields  of  pink  and  white  blossoms  so  abounding 
as  to  conceal  the  foliage,  while  their  beauty 
was  enhanced  by  the  rich  verdure  of  the  grass 
beneath.  It  was  good,  leaving  this  rich  ful 
ness  of  beauty  of  the  blossoming  time,  to  go 
down  again  to  the  quiet  valley,  and  strike  off 
to  the  shore-road,  from  whence  could  be  seen 
the  bay,  its  blue  waters  sparkling  and  leaping 


88  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

as  if  they  too  rejoiced  in  this  rarely  beautiful 
spring-day. 

It  was  good  to  see  the  wild  exuberance  of 
the  children's  spirits  gradually  toned  down  to 
a  more  quiet,  but  not  less  full  happiness  as 
they  looked  eagerly  out  upon  the  broad  expanse 
of  water,  an  unfamiliar  sight  to  them,  but  one 
which  never  failed  to  elicit  their  admiration 
and  delight. 

It  was  good  to  look  at  Dr.  Gordon  in  this, 
one  of  his  very  rare  intervals  of  leisure,  to 
see  his  blue  eyes  sparkling  with  sympathetic 
mirth  and  pleasure  as  he  looked  from  one 
happy,  beaming  face  to  another,  always  finally 
resting  upon  Hannah,  between  whom  and  him 
self  was  even  more  than  the  ordinary  love  of 
father  and  daughter. 

When  the  happy  party  reached  home,  they 
were  met  by  Aunt  Mary  and  Aunt  Maria,  the 
former  Mrs.  Gordon's,  the  latter  Dr.  Gordon's, 
sister. 

They  had  an  early  tea,  in  which  all  the  chil 
dren  were  allowed  to  join,  and  over  which 
Hannah  presided.  The  birthday  cake  was 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  39 

cut,  and  pronounced  excellent,  and  Hannah 
received  from  her  Aunt  Maria  a  hair  bracelet 
with  gold  clasps. 

Dr.  Gordon  smiled  as  it  was  presented,  and 
said,  "I  thought  so." 

"  Yes,  I  meant  the  poor  child  should  have 
sometliing  ornamental  to  wear.  I  hope  you 
don't  object,  Frank." 

"  Not  I.  I  am  glad  to  see  my  little  girl 
gratified.  I  was  only  thinking  how  sure  I  felt 
that  you  would  give  her  something  of  the 
sort.  I  don't  object  to  such  gifts  if  they  are 
not  too  rich  or  abundant  for  a  poor  hard-work 
ing  doctor's  daughter;  only  I  never  should 
think  of  buying  them.  I  don't  miss  them 
when  they  are  not  worn ;  but  I  do  miss  the 
absence  of  them,  when  I  see  girls  or  women 
bedizened  out  with  enough  jewellery  to  stock 
a  travelling  pedler." 

Mrs.  Maria  Howard  glanced  at  her  own  rich 
set  of  gold  and  black  enamel,  and  her  heavy 
watch-chain,  but  said  nothing ;  and  her  brother 
laughingly  added,  "  I  meant  nothing  personal, 
Maria:  your  taste  is  too  good  to  suffer  you 


40  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

to  be  included  in  the  class  of  walking  exhibi 
tors  of  jewelry.  There's  the  bell.  I  hope  it 
isn't  professional." 

Jack,  who  had  answered  its  summons,  came 
back  breathless  to  announce  "  Helen  Ash  ton, 
Lydia  Harris,  Howard  and  Annie  Grey,  cous 
ins  Will  and  Lucy  Howard,  and  a  lot  more, 
Hannah." 

The  "  lot  more  "  proved  but  three,  but  these 
were  quite  enough  to  give  them  all  a  most 
merry  evening,  Jack  occasionally  being  checked 
by  his  father  when  his  spirits  were  too  uproari 
ous,  with  "  Softly,  softly,  my  boy,  remember 
mamma  and  the  prince  up-stairs." 

When  all  had  gone  home,  and  the  boys  had 
said  their  last  "  good-night,"  Hannah  lingered 
a  moment  to  say,  "  0  papa !  what  must  you 
have  thought  of  me,  what  do  you  think  of  me, 
to  complain  of  my  trials,  when  I  have  so 
much  to  be  thankful  for,  so  much  to  make  me 
happy  ?  " 

"  Think,  my  dear  child !  why,  nothing  but 
that  you  are  pretty  much  like  the  rest  of  the 
world,  in  that  you  are  more  apt  to  look  at  your 


HANNAH'S  BIRTHDAY.  41 

trials  than  your  blessings.  A  good  plan  for 
you  would  be,  if  you  find  yourself  again  fall 
ing  into  a  desponding  state,  to  make  notes  for 
an  entire  week  of  your  troubles  and  also  of 
your  pleasures,  and  see  how  the  balance 
stands  at  the  end.  I  tried  that  plan  once, 
and  I  own  I  was  astonished  at  the  result." 

"  Do  you  mean  for  me  to  put  down  what  1 
call  troubles,  or  only  what  every  one  would 
allow  to  be  such  ?  " 

"  Oh !  certainly  what  you  call  troubles,  pro 
vided  you  will  also  fairly  state,  on  the  other 
side,  your  blessings.  But  there  is  one  thing, 
dear,  yon  must  always  remember  in  the  effect 
your  estimates  have  upon  you,  and  that  is, 
that  we  are  nowhere  promised,  either  in  les 
sons  drawn  from  the  Saviour's  life  or  teach 
ings,  ease  or  self-indulgence.  If  we  are  to  be 
happy  in  this  world,  the  Bible  does  not  encour 
age  us  to  hope  to  find  it  in  that  way.  No, 
no,  child,  there  is  a  higher  life  than  that. 
Blessed  are  they,  young  or  old,  who  early 
find  it." 

By  such  timely  words  of  instruction  this 


42  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

good  man  and  father  strove  to  cherish  and 
increase  in  his  children's  hearts  love  and  rev 
erence  for  Christ  the  Saviour,  and  God  the 
Heavenly  Father.  And  his  influence  had  more 
power  hecause  he  was  in  himself  a  remark 
able  combination  of  the  most  patient  and 
untiring  love,  with  the  strictest  justice  and 
most  rigid  adherence  to  duty. 

Out  of  these  traits  had  arisen  a  habit  in 
Frank,  in  his  younger  days,  of  calling  his 
father  Dr.  or  Papa  Gordon  ;  Dr.  Gordon  when 
he  saw  that  he  was  intent  upon  his  profes 
sional  or  other  cares,  and  Papa  Gordon  when 
he  was  free  to  unbend  in  his  family.  This 
habit  had  naturally  been  followed  by  the  oth 
ers,  and  was  understood  by  all  their  intimate 
friends. 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  4iJ 


CHAPTER  IV. 
EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY. 

"  T  DO  believe,  Helen,  that  I  am  c-r-o-s-s  to- 
-*-  day,"  said  Hannah  Gordon  to  her  friend, 
one  morning  about  two  weeks  after  her  birth 
day,  as  they  walked  to  school  together ;  "  and, 
moreover,  I  am  afraid  that  this  is  going  to  be 
a  Rosamond  week  of  misfortunes  and  vexa 
tions.  Sunday  morning  I  got  up  with  a  head 
ache,  mamma's  nurse  had  gone,  and  I  felt 
that  I  must  do  all  that  I  could  to  lighten  her 
cares.  Jack  was  more  full  of  mischief  than 
ever;  though,  when  he  found  that  my  head 
ached,  he  did  help  me  by  taking  care  of  Sam, 
who  oan't  get  used  at  once  to  being  turned  off 
by  mamma  and  the  nurse  too.  Well,  after  a 
morning  of  confusion.  I  went  to  Sunday  school, 
and  couldn't  answer  the  very  first  question 
Mr.  Grey  asked  me,  which,  of  course,  made 


44  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

me  feel  mortified  enough,  as  I  was  sure  that  I 
had  learned  my  lesson.  When  I  got  home, 
I  found  mamma  looking  pale  and  tired,  hold 
ing  Ella,  who  had  hurt  her  head  by  a  fall ;  so 
I  took  her  in  my  lap,  and  told  her  stories, 
which  didn't  help  my  head  any. 

"  It  was  pretty  much  the  same  all  day,  and 
two  or  three  times  I  spoke  very  impatiently  to 
the  children,  and  twice  I  caught  papa's  eyes 
fixed  upon  me,  with  that  grave  look  of  his, 
which  is  as  great  a  punishment  to  me  as  I  ever 
need  for  any  thing. 

"  Yesterday  my  head  was  all  right  again, 
but  I  wasn't  in  the  house  ten  minutes,  except 
the  hour  after  dinner,  when  I  locked  my  door, 
that  it  wasn't '  Do,  Hannah,  show  me  how  to 
do  this,'  or,  '  Please,  Hannah,  do  that  for 
me,'  and  so  on.  Then  I  tore  my  school-dress, 
and  had  to  take  half  of  my  walking-time  to 
mend  that.  This  morning  my  history-lesson 
is  half  learned  because  I  overslept  myself,  and 
my  composition  for  to-morrow  is  not  touched. 
And  last,  but  I  am  afraid  not  least,  is  Eva 
Barton's  party  for  Friday.  I  haven't  nice 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  45 

things  to  wear  like  the  other  girls,  who  are, 
most  of  them  at  least,  to  have  new  dresses, 
and  will  stay  till  twelve.  Mamma  says  I 
may  go  if  I  am  willing  to  wear  my  white  mus 
lin,  and  come  home  at  ten  o'clock." 

"  You  have  a  lot  of  troubles,  to  be  sure, 
Hannah,"  said  Helen,  laughing.  "  Most  of 
Sunday's  and  Monday's  may  be  set  down  to 
the  headache  and  its  consequences,  and  a  little 
tendency  you  have  to  looking  on  the  dark  side 
of  things  as  if  that  side  was  always  to  be 
uppermost.  As  for  the  party,  I  shall  not  have 
any  thing  new.  I  mean  to  wear  white,  and  pink 
ribbons.  You  must  wear  your  pretty  white 
dress,  with  blue  on  your  neck  and  hair." 

"  Yes,  of  course,  I  must  wear  it,  but  all  the 
girls  know  it  is  my  only  company-dress,  and 
have  seen  it  again  and  again." 

"  If  you  feel  so  badly  about  it,  Hannah,  I 
would  stay  at  home." 

"  The  very  thing  I  don't  want  to  do." 

"  Well,  Hannah,  if  you  don't  want  to  go, 
and  do  want  to  go,  I  don't  see  how  I  can  help 
you  to  decide.  You  must  balance  the  fors 


46  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

and  againsts,  and  see  which  is  likely  to  be  the 
winning  side." 

"  There !  that  reminds  me  what  a  capital 
time  it  will  be  for  me  to  keep  my  promise  to 
papa  that  I  told  you  about,  —  when  I  had  an 
uncommonly  trying  week,  to  put  down  my 
trials  on  one  list,  and  my  blessings  on  another, 
and  see  how  the  balance  comes  out.  I'll  do  it, 
this  very  week.  What  with  this  party,  my 
head,  and  the  slightly  irregular  state  of  our 
domestic  affairs,  I'm  likely  to  have  plenty  of 
items  for  one  side ;  and  —  yes,  I  mean  to  be 
honest — I  dare  say  there  will  be  a  good  many 
on  the  other  that  I  don't  remember  when  I'm 
vexed  or  troubled." 

"And  as  to  your  dress  for  the  party,  Han 
nah,  I  wouldn't  let  that  trouble  me." 

"  Excellent  advice,  that,  Miss  Ashton  ;  very 
well  for  you  to  talk,  when  you  can  have  any 
thing  you  like  to  wear,  and  the  girls  all  know 
it." 

"  No,  Hannah,  I  could  not  have  every  thing 
I  liked  to  wear  if  I  cared  for  a  great  deal ; 
for  both  my  father  and  mother  disapprove 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  47 

of  the  present  extravagant  mode  of  dress 
prevailing  amongst  young  girls,  and  would 
never  allow  me  to  have  very  expensive 
clothes  if  I  wanted  them.  My  best  dress  is 
that  blue  and  white  check  silk ;  and  I  never, 
as  you  well  know,  wear  any  thing  to  school 
but  plaids  and  merinos,  plainly  made,  in  win 
ter,  and  calicoes  and  ginghams  in  summer." 

"  Well,  but  you  won't  see  the  difference. 
You  can  afford  to  have  handsome  things,  and 
the  girls  all  know  it,  while  I "  — 

"  While  you,  silly  little  goose  that  you 
are,  care  too  much  what  '  the  girls '  say 
and  do.  It's  like  the  everlasting  'they'  of 
fashionable  life.  Now,  Hannah,  I  can't  have 
this  nonsense.  I'm  older  than  you  are  by 
a  whole  year,  taller  by  two  inches,  wiser  by 
that  increased  age  and  height,  beside  being, 
as  you've  told  me  hundreds  of  times,  your 
very  best  friend, —  consequently,  in  virtue  of 
all  these  advantages  and  superiorities,  I  am 
going  to  give  you  a  little  lecture." 

"  It's  got  to  be  short,  as  here  we  aro  at 
school." 


48  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

"  Plenty  of  time  for  the  three  divisions  of 
my  discourse,  which  are,  first,  you  are  too 
sensitive,  Hannah  Gordon,  to  your  own  opin 
ion  of  yourself;  secondly,  you  are  too  sensi 
tive,  Hannah  Gordon,  to  your  friends'  opinion 
of  you ;  thirdly,  you  are  too  sensitive,  Han 
nah  Gordon,  to  '  the  girls' '  opinion  of  you. 
Not  a  word :  we've  only  time  to  hang  up  our 
hats,  and  go  into  school ;  another  time,  if  you 
wish,  I'll  enlarge  and  explain." 

"  Too  sensitive,  too  sensitive,"  thought  Han 
nah,  as  she  mechanically  took  her  seat,  "  per 
haps  I  am ;  I'll  think  it  over."  And  think  it 
over  she  did,  somewhat  to  the  detriment  of  her 
lessons;  for  twice  her  teacher  reproved  her 
for  inattention.  When  recess  came,  she  walked 
off  by  herself  to  a  quiet  spot,  and  soliloquized 
after  this  fashion  :  — 

" '  Too  sensitive  to  my  own  opinion  of  my 
self.'  I  believe  that  is  true ;  for  Aunt  Mary 
says  I  have  got  into  a  bad  habit  of  analyzing 
myself,  and  dwelling  morbidly  upon  my  defi 
ciencies." 

"'Too  sensitive  to  my  friends'  opinion  of 


EVA  BARTON'S  TARTY.  49 

me.'  That  is  true  also ;  for  I  am  positively 
unhappy  if  I  read  disapprobation  in  the  ex 
pression  only  of  any  one  whom  I  love,  and 
that,  too,  when  I  feel  that  I  have  done  right. 
After  all,  though  Helen  didn't  say  it,  I  know 
she  meant  this  was  only  a  plausible  cover  to 
love  of  approbation.  '  Too  sensitive  to  the 
opinion  of  the  girls.'  That  is  the  truest  of 
all  the  trues ;  for,  in  reality,  I  do  not  care 
whether  my  dress  is  silk  or  muslin  (except 
that  I  think  muslin  really  the  prettiest  for 
young  girls),  if  it  were  not  for  what  '  the 
girls'  say  and  think  about  it.  I'll  go  to 
the  party,  have  a  good  time  while  I  do  stay, 
and  try  not  to  think  of  my  clothes.  Thank 
you,  Helen,"  as  the  latter  appeared  in  search 
of  her ;  "  I've  enlarged  upon  and  explained 
your  lecture  myself,  and  I  mean  to  try  and 
not  be  a  gdose  any  more." 

"  A  wise  resolution,  Hannah,  and  now  I 
want  you  to  see  if  you  haven't  enough  pieces 
of  muslin  to  make  a  broad  sash  like  mine. 
I  know  you  have  blue  ribbon  to  bind  it  with, 
for  I  saw  some  in  your  '  fancy  drawer '  the 


50  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

other  day.  In  case  you  have,  and  your 
mamma  is  willing,  let  me  make  the  sash  for 
you.  I  have  more  time  at  home  than  you  can 
possibly  have,  this  '  Rosamond  week.' ' 

"  Perhaps  the  trial  part  of  it  is  over,  and  I 
shall  be  able  to  imitate  Rosamond  in  her 
better  moods.  I  suppose  it  is  treason,  Helen, 
but  I  like  Rosamond  a  great  deal  better  than 
Laura.  I  can't  bear  your  dreadful  good  girls, 
who  never  do  wrong,  nor  make  a  mistake. 
Rosamond  was  good  at  heart,  and  never  did 
wrong  with,  as  Mr.  Percy  would  say,  malice 
aforethought.  Even  you,  Helen,  get  vexed 
sometimes,  and  do  things  you  are  sorry  for." 

Helen  laughed  at  Hannah's  earnestness  to 
prove  her  fallibility,  and  said,  "  I  am  grateful 
to  you  for  that  admission.  I  was  really  afraid 
that  I  was  one  of  '  the  dreadful  good  girls ' 
you  seem  to  dislike  so  much.'* 

But  the  Rosamond  week  was  not  ended. 
Hannah  was  tired,  a  little  overworked,  and  a 
good  deal  out  of  sorts  generally.  Nothing 
went  very  smoothly  with  her  ;  consequently 
the  little  jars  and  annoyances,  which  Wednes- 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  51 

day  and  Thursday,  like  most  days  of  the  week, 
brought  with  them,  were  magnified  into  real 
causes  of  trouble.  Friday  morning,  she  got 
up  feeling  better  and  happier  than  she  had 
done  any  previous  day  in  the  week ;  and  six 
o'clock  came  and  found  her  ready  for  Eva 
Barton's  party,  satisfied  with  her  appearance, 
and  with  everybody  and  every  thing. 

"  She  really  does  look  very  pretty,"  said 
Mrs.  Gordon  to  her  husband,  as  Hannah  left 
the  nursery  where  she  had  been  to  kiss  the 
little  ones  good-night. 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  "  the  best  kind  of 
pretty  too  ;  she  has,  when  she  is  happy,  such 
a  bright,  pleasant  face,  and  honest  look, — and 
I  don't  know  much  about  gowns,  you  know  ; 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  white  and  blue  com 
bination  is  very  becoming  to  her,  quite  airy 
and  cloudlike.  What  do  you  call  the  stream 
ers  at  her  side,  that  floated  out  so  prettily  as 
she  danced  out  of  the  room  ?  " 

"  Oh !  her  sash  you  mean,  I  suppose.  I 
thought  you  never  noticed  dress." 

"  There  you  mistake,  my  dear  Madam  Gor- 


52  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

don.  I  notice  it  in  two  ways,  —  when  it  is 
simple  and  becoming,  and  when  it  is  overdone 
and  hideous.  I  always  know  what  I  like  and 
what  I  don't  like,  though  I  couldn't  tell  you  the 
names  of  different  articles  of  wearing  apparel, 
as  I  could  the  ingredients  of  the  mixture  of 
which  you  partook  this  morning.  I  hope 
Hannah  will  keep  her  bright  face  on  till  I  call 
for  her  to-night." 

"  I  hope  so  too,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  "  and  I 
think  she  will,  if  those  foolish  girls  who  at 
tach  so  much  importance  to  fine  clothes  do 
not  make  any  disparaging  remarks  in  her 
hearing." 

It  was  not  all  the  partial  view  of  fond 
parents  that  saw  that  evening  in  Hannah 
Gordon  a  far  prettier  girl  than  many  who  had 
really  more  beauty  and  much  richer  attire. 
There  was  something  very  attractive  in  her 
bright  face  and,  as  her  father  rightly  ex 
pressed  it,  "  honest  look ; "  and  her  manners 
were  simple  and  natural,  with  no  affected  airs 
or  languid  graces.  She  appeared  just  as  she 
was,  and  what  in  the  present  hot-house  sys- 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  53 

tern  which  prevails  in  most  families  one  rarely 
sees, — a  young  girl  enjoying  the  pleasures  and 
pastimes  suited  to  her  age,  without  an  attempt 
or  wish  to  ape  the  manners  of  grown-up 
young  ladyhood.  She  joined  in  the  games 
and  dancing  upon  the  lawn,  partook  with  the 
keen  relish  of  youthful  appetite  of  the  nice 
supper  prepared  for  this  birthday  feast,  and 
was  enjoying  as  much  as  she  thought  one 
person  could  well  contain,  when  she  iinfor- 
tunately  overheard  Eva  Barton  say  to  Flora 
Manning,  one  of  "  the  girls "  of  whom  she 
stood  so  much  in  fear,  "  There's  Hannah  Gor 
don  with  her  everlasting  white  dress  fudged 
over  with  a  sash  to  make  it  look  new.  I  do 
think  her  father  might  afford  to  give  her 
better  clothes  ;  she's  the  eldest  girl,  too.  I 
would  have  them,  or  stay  at  home,  I  know." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Flora,  with  a  contemptuous 
toss  of  her  head,  "  it  don't  matter  what  she 
wears,  anyhow,  —  she,  a  dowdy  thing ;  no 
style  about  her." 

Miss  Flora's  idea  of  style  consisted  in 
having  a  huge  bag  of  hair,  then  all  the  rage, 


54  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

called  a  waterfall  (who  could  have  so  slan 
dered  one  of  the  loveliest  of  nature's  works  ?) 
hanging  down  her  back,  wearing  the  largest 
hoops  and  longest  skirts  her  mother  would 
allow,  and  swinging  these  appendages  grace 
fully  (as  she  thought). 

Perhaps  Hannah  could  have  borne  this 
without  much  disturbance,  though  no  one 
likes  to  be  called  a  dowdy,  least  of  all  a  sensi 
tive  young  girl ;  but,  just  as  she  was  moving 
out  of  hearing  distance  from  Eva  and  Flora, 
she  met  Anna  Blake. 

"  Ah,  you  here,  Hannah  !  I  didn't  know  as 
mamma  would  let  you  come.  Good  child ! 
to  be  willing  to  go  home  early,  and  to  wear 
that  old  frock.  It  doesn't  look  so  badly,  I 
declare;  but  you  know  Eva  made  it  a  point 
with  all  the  girls  of  her  set,  that  they  should 
have  new  dresses.  How  do  you  like  my  pink 
silk  ?  Isn't  it  lovely  ?  I  coaxed  it  out  of 
papa.  He  scolded  well,  as  he  always  does 
when  I  ask  for  new  things,  and  talked  about 
money  needed  for  disabled  soldiers  coming 
home  from  the  war,  for  the  freedmen,  <fec.  <fec., 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  55 

till  mamma  said,  '  Mr.  Blake,  you  never  will 
understand  the  requirements  of  our  social 
position.  Anna  visits  in  the  first  circle,  and 
must  have  handsome  things ;  and  I  am  sure 
we  are  amply  able  to  let  her.'  I  always  sub 
side  when  mamma  begins  to  talk,  knowing 
the  point  is  gained.  Don't  look  troubled, 
dear,  your  dress  is  really  very  pretty  and 
quite  becoming ;  and,  I  dare  say,  Eva  didn't 
expect  you  to  have  a  new  one,  as  we  all  know 
your  father  is  not  rich." 

With  this  last  shaft  from  her  quiver,  Anna 
rustled  off  with  her  pink  silk  and  finery  to 
repeat  to  her  dear  friend,  Flora  Manning,  what 
she  had  just  said,  leaving  Hannah  with  burn 
ing  cheeks  and  angry  spirit,  which  she  strove 
vainly  for  some  minutes  to  conquer.  Helen, 
who  had  seen  the  encounter  from  a  little  dis 
tance,  and  guessed  at  its  purport  from  her 
knowledge  of  Anna's  spiteful  character,  came 
towards  Hannah,  and  tried  to  fix  her  attention 
upon  a  beautiful  collection  of  photographs  of 
foreign  scenery.  But  Hannah  was  too  much 
disturbed  to  be  amused.  The  words  "  old 


56  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

frock,"  and  "  father  not  rich,"  kept  sounding 
in  her  ears,  and  she  was  thankful  when  How 
ard  Grey  came  up  to  her,  and  told  her  that 
her  father  was  waiting. 

She  gladly  said  good  night  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Barton  and  Eva,  and  almost  ran  away  from 
Howard,  who  was  waiting  in  the  hall  to  see 
her  to  her  father. 

"  You're  early,  Hannah,  though  one  wouldn't 
think  it  from  the  haste  you're  in.  I  am  afraid 
you  haven't  enjoyed  yourself:  have  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  no,  Howard.  I  should  have  en 
joyed  it  all,  but  for  my  foolish  fear  of  '  the 
girls '  which  Helen  thinks  my  Mte  noir" 

"  Oh,  that's  it,  is  it  ?  I'm  going  home  too, 
directly.  My  mother  wished  it.  As  for  *  the 
girls,'  Hannah,  you  are  too  sensible  to  care 
much  for  what  they  say  or  think." 

"Too  sensitive  not  to  care  more  than  I 
ought,  Howard ;  though  between  two  such 
sensible  friends  as  Helen  and  yourself,  I  shall 
learn  wisdom  in  time.  Good-night." 

As  her  father  drove  off,  he  said,  "  I  was 
afraid  you  wouldn't  be  glad  to  see  me." 


EVA  BARTON'S  PARTY.  57 

"  Indeed,  you  came  in  just  the  right  time, 
papa." 

The  next  day  Hannah  had  the  headache 
again,  and  the  Rosamond  week  of  troubles 
ended  much  as  it  began. 


58  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   OTHER   SIDE. 

HAVE  any  of  the  young  readers  of  this 
book  ever  seen  a  piece  of  sparkling 
ore,  with  here  and  there  a  dark  thread  or 
vein  running  through  it  ?  That  piece  of  ore 
is  not  unlike  the  character  of  Hannah  Gordon, 
who  was,  on  the  whole,  a  bright,  merry  girl, 
full  of  fun  and  frolic,  with  an  occasional  ten 
dency  to  look  upon  the  small  trials  of  her 
daily  life  till  they  became  a  dark  vein  in  it. 
This  tendency,  however,  was  greatly  increased 
by  her  physical  state,  which  was  partly  owing 
to  her  rapid  growth,  and  partly  to  her  being 
overtaxed  with  study.  For  even  good  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Gordon,  sensible  people  as  they  were 
in  most  matters,  had  suffered  themselves  to 
float  with  the  current  in  regard  to  the  matter 
of  education.  The  current  in  the  nineteenth 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  59 

century  sets  strongly  towards  over-education, 
without  regard  to  the  age  or  strength  of  the 
subject.  Hannah  had  excellent  abilities,  took 
a  high  rank  in  school,  and  was  anxious  to 
maintain  it,  and  her  parents  were  anxious  that 
she  should.  It  did  not  occur  to  them  that 
her  frequent  headaches,  nervous  irritability, 
and  fits  of  lassitude  were  in  part  from  over- 
study  at  a  period  of  life  when  the  brain,  if  it 
does  not  work  readily,  should  be  allowed  to 
lie  fallow,  at  least  so  far  as  relates  to  pursuing 
the  more  abstruse  branches  of  study  which 
require  so  much  mental  effort. 

Thus  far  in  her  story  we  have  seen  Hannah 
under  the  influence  of  the  dark  vein,  which  is 
by  no  means  a  fair  representation  of  her.  It 
is  time  the  bright  and  sparkling  side  should 
be  seen,  even  if  it,  as  is  so  often  the  case  with 
merry  girls  in  the  spring-time  of  life,  verges 
on  silliness. 

After  the  Rosamond  week  was  over,  a  re 
action  took  place  in  Hannah  ;  her  head  was 
clear,  her  lessons  were  easily  learned,  her 
home  duties  were  pleasures,  and  her  spirits 


60  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

rose  in  proportion.  She  herself  was  accus 
tomed  to  call  such  periods  her  high  days  ;  and 
Helen  Ashton  said  she  could  tell,  by  her  step 
when  she  joined  her  on  their  way  to  school, 
the  mood  she  was  in.  One  of  her  favorite 
amusements  at  such  periods  of  abounding 
spirits  was  to  talk  in  the  manner  of  some  sup 
posititious  person ;  and,  as  her  powers  of 
imitation  were  good  and  her  perceptions  quick, 
she  succeeded  in  giving  great  amusement  in 
this  way  to  Helen,  whose  temperament  was 
more  equable  and  matter  of  fact. 

"  Good  morning,  Miss  Ashton,"  said  Han 
nah,  as  she  overtook  Helen  the  Monday  morn 
ing  preceding  the  week  referred  to.  "  It  is 
incredible  the  amount  of  work  I've  done  and 
started  to  be  done  this  morning,  for  the  fair 
for  the  families  of  disabled  soldiers.  First, 
I've  cut  and  sent  out  a  large  bundle  of  little 
aprons  and  night-caps  to  be  made ;  for  you 
know  useful  things  are  so  much  needed  at 
fairs.  I  pay  the  women  who  make  them,  and 
then  give  them  to  the  fair  ;  so  there's  a  double 
help." 


THE   OTHER  SIDE.  61 

"  Oh,"  said  Helen,  "  you're  in  the  Lady 
Bountiful  mood  this  morning,  are  you?  I 
was  afraid,  if  it  proved  a  '  high  day,'  it  would 
be  the  Flora  McFlimsey  role  you.  would  play." 

"That'll  keep;  but  do  you  know,  Helen, 
we  really  are  to  have  a  large  fair  here  this 
autumn,  for  that  very  purpose  ?  and  I'm  so 
interested  in  it,  and  want  to  do,  and  haven't 
any  time  or  money,  that  I  am  comforting 
myself  with  thinking  what  I  would  do  if  I 
could.  So  listen  to  me." 

"  Agreed,  if  you  will  listen  to  me  after 
wards,  and  let  me  tell  you  what  you  can  do." 

"  A  bargain  ;  now  don't  interrupt  again. 
Persons  in  my  circumstances  are  at  least 
deserving  of  respectful  attention.  I've  bought 
the  materials  for  a  dozen  breakfast-caps,  which 
Marie,  my  maid,  who  has  such  exquisite  taste, 
is  to  make  up.  Then  the  gardener  is  to  make, 
at  his  leisure,  some  lovely  cone  and  seed  bas 
kets, —  all  to  be  filled  with  the  choicest 
flowers  from  garden  and  green-house.  Our 
coachman  (he  is  Swiss,  you  know)  has  a 
wonderful  talent  for  carving,  and  he  is  to 


62  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

make  a  quantity  of  corner  and  side  brackets, 
and  I  shall  paint  some  lovely  vases.  I  have 
also  purchased  a  large  quantity  of  materials 
for  fancy  work,  which  I  intend  to  give  out  to 
those  who  have  taste  but  not  means.  Then 
there  are  a  thousand  things  to  be  attended 
to  beside.  0  Helen,  how  I  do  wish  I  could 
really  do  all  these  things,  I  feel  so  much  for 
the  poor  soldiers'  families  who  suffered  while 
we  were  comfortable  in  our  homes  !  " 

"  You  will  find  you  can  do  a  good  deal  in 
the  summer  vacation,  if  you  are  not  a  Lady 
Bountiful.  My  mother  has  a  plan  similar  to 
your  imaginary  one,  and  there  will  be  no  lack 
of  materials.  But  you  have  really  done  a 
good  morning's  work.  Don't  you  find  it 
difficult  to  keep  your  large  family  of  servants 
employed  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  the  least ;  our  house  is  immense, 
you  know ;  the  grounds  very  extensive ;  and 
we  are  constantly  liable  to  visitors ;  so  that 
there  is  full  employment  for  all.  I  have  but 
to  utter  a  command,  and  it  is  at  once  obeyed." 

"I  congratulate  you.     We,  who  keep  but 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  63 

half  as  many  servants,  sometimes  meet  with 
difficulty.  But  here  is  the  'Academy  of 
Wisdom,'  and  I  am  afraid  you  must  come 
down  from  your  high  estate  and  be  for  a 
short  time  plain  Hannah  Gordon  again." 

The  "  high  day  "  spirit,  however,  was  not 
easily  subdued.  In  fact,  Hannah,  though  an 
excellent  scholar,  was  not  faultless  as  to  de 
portment,  her  mirth  and  keen  sense  of  the 
ridiculous  often  getting  the  better  of  her 
gravity.  This  morning  she  more  than  once 
encountered  Mr.  Percy's  eyes  fixed  gravely 
upon  her,  and  at  last  he  gave  a  very  decided 
shake  of  his  head,  and  stern  look  of  disap 
probation,  as  he  saw  her  making  up  a  face  in 
imitation  of  the  drawing-master's  when  he 
was  disturbed,  behind  his  back.  Her  next 
exploit  was  to  remove  the  comb  from  the  head 
of  the  young  lady  who  sat  in  front  of  her  iu 
one  of  the  class-rooms,  thereby  displaying  to 
view  a  cushion  over  which  the  luxuriant  curls 
had  fallen.  For  this  piece  of  mischief  she  re 
ceived  a  severe  reprimand  from  Miss  Parker, 
one  of  the  assistant  teachers.  This  sobered 


64  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

her  somewhat,  and  she  was  able  to  keep  toler 
ably  quiet  till  school  closed.  As  she  went  for 
her  hat  and  sack,  she  overheard  Anna  Blake 
expatiating  upon  a  new  muslin  she  had  just 
had  made  up,  and  this  started  her  off  in  a 
new  character. 

"  Oh,"  she  said,  Helen  being  as  usual  her 
favored  listener,  "  the  torment  I  do  have  in 
getting  my  dresses  made  to  suit  me !  Why, 
if  you  will  credit  me,  my  dressmaker  actually 
put  but  eight  breadths  in  my  blue  silk  dress, 
when  I  expressly  ordered  ten.  Then  to 
match  my  dresses  in  trimming  and  buttons  is 
dreadful.  I'm  having  a  dozen  new  ones  made 
for  Saratoga  and  Newport,  beside  others 
being  altered.  I've  spent  days  in  the  city 
running  for  ribbons,  gimps,  and  buttons. 
I've  sent  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia  to 
match  my  subdued  lilac  silk  dress,  and  finally 
succeeded,  through  the  aid  of  my  cousin,  in 
finding  a  shade  that  would  answer.  Mamma 
says  I  need  change  and  rest,  as  indeed  I  do. 
Another  year  I  am  to  have  a  French  maid, 
who  understands  all  these  things,  if  papa's 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  65 

business  is  good.  I  shall  have  change,  if  not 
rest,  when  I  am  away.  How  I  do  enjoy  com 
ing  out  with  my  exquisitely  delicate  muslins 
and  silks,  with  their  perfectly  matched  or  con 
trasted  trimmings,  beside  the  shoddy  people, 
with  their  gorgeous  dresses  and  glittering 
jewelry ! " 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  need  rest  after  your 
arduous  labors :  your  toilet  must  be  a  great 
care  to  you." 

"  Oh,  immense  ;  but  then  it  pays,  to  use  one 
of  Harry's  vulgarisms.  Still  I  tell  Lilias,  — 
she's  my  poor  cousin,  you  know,  her  father  is  a 
teacher  on  a  small  salary  (I  don't  know  how 
much,  but  less  than  my  allowance  for  dress), 
—  that  she  is  saved  a  great  deal  of  care  and 
anxiety.  It's  so  easy  to  get  her  simple  gray 
dresses  and  muslins,  and  hat  to  match  !  " 

"  What  did  she  say  ?  " 

"  Oh,  very  coldly,  that  if  I  had  to  make  and 
remake  all  my  dresses,  and  try  on  a  very  little 
to  present  a  decent  and  not  outlandish  appear 
ance,  I  should  then  know  something  of  real 
work  and  care.  Poor  thing !  she  doesn't  in 


66  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

the  least  know  how  hard  it  is  to  dress  as 
noblesse  oblige.  To  bs  sure,  I  shouldn't  like 
to  wash  the  breakfast-dishes,  help  take  care  of 
a  crowd  of  children  (poor  folks  always  do 
have  a  lot),  and  sew  and  knit  and  crochet,  as 
she  does  ;  but  la !  she's  used  to  it." 

"  Helen,"  said  Hannah,  all  at  once  chan 
ging  her  light  manner  to  one  of  seriousness, 
"  this  is  the  way  that  such  girls  as  Anna  Blake 
talk  and  reason." 

"  Well,  let  them ;  it  doesn't  require  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon  to  see  how  foolish  they 
are :  but  take  care,  Hannah,  that  you  do  not 
fall  into  a  habit  of  fancying  all  rich  people  are 
so  fond  of  dress  and  so  foolish." 

"  Never, while  I  have  you  for  a  bright  and 
shining  light  to  prove  the  contrary." 

"  And  dozens  of  other  girls  as  well.  Your 
Liliases  often  spend  more  time  and  thought  in 
trying  to  make  old  clothes  look  *  maist  as  weel 
as  new,'  than  the  most  earnest,  rich  fashionist. 
I've  heard  mamma  say  so,  and  I've  seen  it 
too." 

"  Well,  what  would  you  have  them  do  ?  " 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  67 

said  Hannah,  firing  up  at  this  ;  "  look  like 
dowdies,  or  sixty-years-back  dressed  girls  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed ;  but  I  would  not  have  them 
condemn  others  for  what  is  often  in  them 
selves  only  '  sour  grapes.'  Lydia  Harris  is 
my  ideal  in  this  matter.  She  always  looks 
neat  and  pretty.  Her  dresses  are  made  be 
comingly  in  the  fashion,  but  never  in  any  ex 
treme  ;  and  it  is  plain  to  be  seen,  that  her 
mind  is  more  attended  to  than  her  dress." 

"  She  don't  care  for  dress." 

"  Doesn't  she  ?  I  think,  if  she  had  the 
means,  you  would  find  she  cared  enough  for 
it  to  dress  very  prettily.  The  thing  is,  she 
cares  for  other  things  more." 

"  Well,  /  wish  we  were  clothed,  like  the 
lilies  of  the  field,  without  thought  or  care." 

"  Probably  we  should  be  if  we  were  made 
without  souls  and  minds,  simply  as  objects  to 
give  pleasure  to  the  senses.  I  prefer  the  pres 
ent  order  of  things,  with  all  its  evils,  and  so 
at  heart  do  you." 

The  two  girls  walked  along  a  short  dis 
tance  without  speaking,  and  then  Helen  said 


68  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

abruptly,  "  I  wonder,  Hannah,  what  you  really 
would  do  and  be  if  you  had  plenty  of  money ; 
the  Lady  Bountiful  of  the  morning,  to  whom 
the  power  of  doing  good  is  the  highest  pleas 
ure,  or  the  Flora  MeFlimsey  of  the  present 
hour,  intent  upon  dress  and  pleasure." 

"  Papa  says  we  never  know  how  we  should 
act  under  certain  circumstances,  until  we  are 
tried.  I  don't  know  what  I  should  do  and  be 
under  that  same  delightful  supposition  of 
yours,  Helen  ;  but  I'm  sure,  yes,  morally  cer 
tain,  as  Aunt  Maria  says  when  she's  dreadful 
positive  about  any  thing,  that  I  should  be  a 
Lady  Bountiful." 

"  I  believe  you  would,  Hannah,  because 
you're  so  generous  now  with  every  thing  you 
have,  and  because  you  have  such  a  warm 
heart.  No  ;  I  don't  mean  it  for  a  compliment. 
If  you  took  it  as  such,  I've  an  antidote.  How 
can  a  good-hearted  girl  like  yourself  delight  to 
make  fun  of  our  poor  drawing-master?  " 

"  I  don't  make  fun  of  him,  only  at  him.  I 
wouldn't  have  him  know  I  did  for  any  thing. 
He  is  such  a  funny  little  man,  and  then,  when 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  69 

he's  not  pleased,  he  draws  his  brows  together, 
so  that  you  can  hardly  see  his  eyes,  and  pouts 
out  his  lips  so,  I  declare  I've  seen  you  smile 
at  him." 

"  Yes,  he  does  look  comically  sometimes ; 
but  then,  by  imitating  him,  you  draw  attention 
to  his  defects." 

"  Oh,  I  know  it's  naughty,  and  I'll  try  not 
to  do  it  again,  till  —  next  time." 

"  Some  day  he  will  see  you,  and  then  I 
should  rather  be  in  his  place  than  yours." 

"  Oh,  dear !  I  don't  seem  to  suit  any  way. 
If  I  am  in  spirits,  I  am  sure  to  do  something 
naughty,  hurt  somebody's  feelings,  or  some 
thing  of  the  kind,  when  I'm  just  as  innocent 
of  any  harm  as  those  flies,  which  seem  to 
be  having  such  a  merry  go-round  in  the  air. 
Then,  if  I'm  not  in  spirits,  that's  naughty  and 
ungrateful,  &c.  I  can't  help  seeing  things  in 
a  ridiculous  light :  can  I  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  you  can  help  making  others  see 
persons  in  a  ridiculous  light,  when,  but  for 
you,  they  never  would." 

"  Well,  I  never  shall  learn,  I'm  afraid,  to  bo 


70  STRIVING  AND   GAINING. 

like  you,  Helen.  Next  thing  you'll  say  my 
nonsense-talks  are  doing  barm  to  somebody  or 
otber.  I  can't  give  those  up,  even  to  please 
you,  Miss  Asbtou." 

'.4  No,  not  such  talks  as  we  bad  this  morn 
ing:  if  not  the  wisest  things  in  the  world, 
there  certainly  was  no  barm  in  them  between 
ourselves  ;  but  you  remind  me  of  something  I 
meant  to  tell  you.  Do  you  remember,  about 
a  fortnight  ago,  we  were  in  Mr.  Carter's  new 
store,  looking  at  some  blue  silk  you  were  get 
ting  for  your  mother  ?  " 

"  Yes,  perfectly :  and  that  I  told  you,  when 
the  clerk  took  down  a  piece  of  rich  silk,  that 
I  meant  to  tease  Harry  to  buy  me  a  dress  of 
it,  and  that  my  point  lace  and  pearl  set  would 
look  lovely  with  it.  I  know,  too,  that  the  clerk 
heard  me ;  and  I  was  tickled  to  see  how 
astonished  he  looked,  and  how  very  polite  he 
became  afterwards.  Then  I  dare  say,  he 
heard  me  say,  too,  that  I  was  afraid  John  for 
got  to  tell  the  coachman  to  call  to  take  us 
home.  I  thought  it  was  a  good  joke,  and  so 
did  you." 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  71 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  did,  at  the  time  ;  but  when 
you  left  the  counter,  and  I  stopped  to  speak 
to  Alice  Grey,  whom  it  seems  the  clerk  knew, 
I  heard  him  ask  her  who  that  lady  was,  in  the 
brown  gingham,  and  white  straw  hat.  She 
told  him,  and  he  looked  astonished.  I  told 
mamma  about  it,  when  I  got  home ;  and  she 
said  you  might  give  a  false  idea  of  yourself  by 
speaking  in  that  way,  and  so  draw  the  atten 
tion  of  the  clerks  in  the  store  to  you  in  a 
manner  that  wouldn't  be  pleasant." 

"  She  was  right,  as  I  found  to  my  cost ; 
for,  the  next  time  I  went  to  the  store,  I  saw 
two  or  three  of  the  young  men  looking  at 
me,  and  laughing.  I  shall  take  care  when 
I  talk  about  my  pearls  and  laces  and  car 
riage,  and,  most  of  all,  my  Harry,  not  to  be 
overheard.  But  fun  I  must  have  some  way, 
and  I  don't  want  to  be  hedged  in  on  every 
side." 

"  I  suppose  you  need  not  be,  only  on  the 
sides  that  lead  you  to  run  the  risk  of  hurting 
people's  feelings,  or  giving  false  impressions 
of  yourself." 


72  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

"  Well,  you've  done  your  duty,  Helen,  and 
have,  as  good  old  Parson  Field  says,  'the 
unspeakable  comfort  of  knowing  how  to  walk 
in  the  straight  path  of  duty.'  Please,  ma'am, 
could  you  give  me  a  recommend  for  any 
thing?" 

"  Nothing  but  mischief,  in  your  present  wild 
mood.  There  comes  Howard  Grey,  looking  as 
sober  as  a  judge." 

His  sober  face  relaxed  a  little  as  he  caught 
sight  of  the  girls'  merry  looks,  and,  bowing 
low  to  Hannah,  he  said,  "  How  is  Harry  to 
day,  and  why  are  you  walking  these  dusty 
streets?  Has  John  forgotten  your  orders 
again?" 

Hannah  colored,  and  said, "  Nonsense !  why 
must  you  have  heard  of  that  silly  speech  of 
mine?  But  I  don't  care:  you've  encouraged 
me  in  talking  just  so  many  and  many  a  time 
•when  we  used  to  play  together  so  much  by  the 
brook,  yes,  and  joined  in,  too,  for  all  you  look 
so  grave  now.  But  I'm  not  going  to  be  lec 
tured  any  more.  Helen  has  rigidly  performed 
her  duty  in  that  respect,  and  I've  repented, 


THE   OTHER   SIDE.  73 

and  am  all  ready  to  sin  again.  That's  the 
way;  isn't  it?  But,"  changing  her  tone, 
"don't  tell  Frank,  it  would  vex  him,  and  I 
don't  want  to  do  that." 


74  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

POOR  JACK. 

WHEN  Hannah  reached  home,  she  found 
the  realities  of  life  awaiting  her.  High 
days  and  low  days  and  imaginary  life  were 
alike  dispelled  from  her  mind ;  for  she  found 
Jack  had  met  with  a  sad  accident.  First  in  fun 
and  frolic,  he  was  no  less  first  in  readiness  to 
oblige.  A  small  boy  had  thrown  his  ball  upon 
the  ledge  of  a  high  fence,  upon  one  side  of  the 
school-yard,  far  beyond  his  reach ;  and  Jack 
had  found  him  sobbing  bitterly,  because,  as  he 
said,  he  didn't  know  how  he  ever  could  get 
another  if  he  lost  this.  It  was  also  beyond 
Jack's  reach ;  but  he  was  not  without  ex 
pedients  in  such  a  case.  A  block  of  wood 
stood  in  the  yard ;  upon  that  he  placed  the 
water-pail,  and  armed  with  a  long  pole,  he  was 
sure  he  could  get  the  ball.  So  he  probably 


POOR   JACK.  75 

could  have  done,  but  that  the  pail,  from  long 
service,  was  not  strong  enough  to  bear  him, 
and  broke  through  his  first  jump.  The  block, 
carelessly  placed,  turned  over,  and  down  came 
block,  remnants  of  pail,  Jack,  and  all ;  and,  in 
the  fall,  Jack's  ankle  was  twisted,  his  wrist 
sprained,  and  his  whole  body  jarred.  In  this 
state  he  had  been  carried  home  in  great  suffer 
ing;  and,  when  Hannah  arrived,  her  father 
and  another  physician  had  been  examining  the 
extent  of  his  injuries.  No  bones  were  broken, 
and  not  much  could  be  done  for  him  but  make 
external  applications,  and  give  him  entire  rest. 
Rest  for  Jack  seemed  an  absurdity,  but  rest  it 
must  be  ;  and  nothing  remained  for  the  family 
but  to  try  to  render  his  wearisome  confinement 
as  easy  as  possible. 

But  how  was  this  to  be  effected  for  the  most 
restless  and  active  of  all  the  restless  and 
active  Gordons  ? 

. "  We  must  resolve  ourselves  into  a  com 
mittee  of  the  whole,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  "  and 
make  it  our  chief  object  to  amuse  Jack  and 
keep  up  his  spirits.  Mamma  and  Prince  are 


76  STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 

always  on  hand.  Charlie  is  a  very  good  little 
reader;  Hannah,  still  better;  the  little  ones 
can  do  their  part  in  running  errands  ;  Sam 
can  perform  his  tumbling  feats  when  Jack  is 
in  the  mood  for  being  diverted  ;  Frank  will 
soon  be  here  for  vacation ;  and,  last  but  not 
least,  I  flatter  myself  I  shall  be  in  and  out  at 
all  hours,  and  serve  as  spice  for  the  rest.  But 
one  thing  mind,"  catching  a  glimpse  of  Han 
nah's  tearful,  sympathetic  face ;  "  no  sad  or 
doleful  looks,  on  penalty  of  being  banished 
from  the  west  room.  There  are  better 
ways  than  that  of  showing  your  interest 
for  Jack." 

After  Jack  was  relieved  from  the  intensity 
of  his  first  suffering,  and  every  thing  was 
arranged  in  the  west  room  for  his  comfort 
and  convenience,  his  father  said  to  him : 
"  Keep  up  good  courage,  Jack.  This  is  a 
pleasant  prison,  and  your  keepers  will  be  as 
lenient  as  your  case  admits." 

"  But  my  vacation,  papa,  and  my  summer- 
house,  and  my  visit  to  the  country,  and  my  — 
oh  —  so  many  things  I  had  planned  to  do  !  " 


POOR  JACK.  77 

"  Sorry  for  you,  my  boy,  but  you'll  have  to 
change  your  programme,  and  substitute  quiet 
for  active  pleasures.  It  will  be  tiresome,  dear, 
no  doubt ;  but  my  boy  is  brave  enough  to  bear 
a  good  deal  of  disappointment  and  pain,  when 
neither  can  be  helped.  Then,  too,  you  have 
the  pleasant  thought  that  you  were  hurt  in 
doing  a  kind  act,  not  in  wanton  mischief,  or 
even  in  harmless  sport.  For  a  few  days, 
however,  you  must  be  very  quiet,  as  there  is  a 
little  tendency  to  fever." 

For  more  than  a  week  Jack  was  very  rest 
less  and  feverish.  At  times  he  suffered 
greatly,  and  could  not  bear  the  least  noise 
or  excitement;  and  Hannah  felt  it  to  be  a 
great  privilege  that  she  was  the  only  one  of 
the  children  who  was  allowed  to  go  into  his 
room,  and  that  he  always  greeted  her  with  a 
languid  smile. 

Sitting  beside  him,  softly  brushing  his  hair, 
or  bathing  his  aching  head,  or  fanning  him, 
she  was  so  filled  with  compassion  for  his  help 
less  state,  that  she  forgot  that  she  had  ever 
been  so  teased  and  annoyed  by  him,  or  remem- 


78  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

bcred  it  only  to  wonder  that  such  trifles  ever 
could  have  disturbed  her.  How  he  could  be 
so  patient  she  did  not  understand.  Always 
in  health  so  full  of  life  and  activity,  scarcely 
able  without  frequent  reminder  to  sit  as 
quietly  at  meals  or  when  visitors  were  in  the 
house  as  propriety  demanded,  and  now  con 
fined  to  his  bed  or  couch  unable  to  move  with 
out  assistance,  hand  and  foot  helpless  and 
suffering, —  was  this  really,  lively,  noisy,  al 
most  perpetual-motion  Jack  ?  But  the  trying 
time  of  his  sickness  had  not  come,  either  to 
Jack  or  his  family.  Weak  from  pain,  he  was 
glad  of  intervals  of  ease,  and  thankful  to  be 
quiet ;  but,  as  time  passed  on,  and  the  suffer 
ing  had  ceased  in  a  degree,  he  became  impa 
tient  of  his  enforced  confinement,  and  was 
often  dwelling  upon  the  pleasures  he  had 
lost,  sometimes  fretfully  and  always  regret 
fully. 

One  afternoon  Hannah  came  in  to  sit  an 
hour  with  him,  and  read  or  talk  or  do  what 
ever  he  liked  best. 


POOR  JACK.  79 

"  Has  Aunt  Maria  gone  ?  "  he  answered, 
without  noticing  Hannah's  offer. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so  :  did  you  wish  to  see  her 
again  ?  She  told  mamma  she  thought  you 
were  very  patient." 

"  See  her  ?  no.  Papa  would  say,  if  he  feels 
as  I  do,  that  is,  that  she's  a  mental  or  moral 
or  some  sort  of  an  inward  blister.  My,  how  I 
do  smart  inside !  As  for  patience,  well,  one 
has  need  of  it  when  she's  round." 

"  0  Jack,  naughty  Jack,  you  shouldn't 
speak  so  of  Aunt  Maria." 

"  Shouldn't  I  ?  Well,  she  shouldn't  speak 
to  me  as  she  does ;  advising  me,  and  patroniz 
ing,  and,  worst  of  all,  praising  me.  I  have 
my  father  and  mother  to  advise  me,  if  I  need 
it;  praise  me,  if  I  deserve  it;  and  I  don't 
want  anybody  to  patronize  me.  Hannah, 
please  bring  me  the  big  dictionary." 

Hannah  laughed  at  the  sudden  transition 
from  Aunt  Maria  to  the  big  dictionary,  but 
arranged  the  rack  on  the  couch  upon  which 
he  was  lying  for  him,  and  asked,  "  Where  shall 
I  open  for  you  ?  " 


80  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

"  Oh,  in  the  G's ;  Tin  going  to  look  out 
good.  You  remember  what  papa  s;ml  about 
the  word  on  your  birthday  :  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes  :  I  wonder  if  Charlie  has  ever  looked 
it  up." 

"  Long  ago,  you  may  be  sure.  Hero  it  is ; 
two  columns,  I  declare,  of  definitions.  It  well 
might  mean  all  papa  said  it  did.  And " 
(after  a  few  moment's  silence)  "  it  does, 
though  I  never  should  have  thought  it.  De 
rived  in  several  languages  from  G-od,  of 
course  it  must  mean  a  great  deal.  Well,  the 
next  time  Aunt  Maria  pats  me  and  says  I'm 
a  good  boy,  I'll  try  and  remember  that  she 
means  I'm  strong  and  kind  and  wise  and 
patient  and  beautiful  and  merry,  and  lots  of 
other  goods,  and  not  feel  as  if  I  should  like 
to  pull  off  that  streaming,  dangling  thing  she 
wears  on  her  head,  and  that's  all  the  time 
rickling  my  face  or  neck  while  she's  patting 
w  patronizing  me." 

"  I  sha'n't  say  you're  a  pood  boy,  if  you 
lalk  so.  Aunt  Maria  brought  you  some  jelly 
And  custards,  and  something  else, —  I  won't 


POOR   JACK.  81 

tell  you  what,  to  punish  you  for  your  ingrati 
tude." 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  it  is  blackberries,  and  then 
I'll  call  her  good,  better,  best,  which,  accord 
ing  to  the  dictionary,  is  all  that  can  be  said 
of  anybody." 

"  And  let  her  pat  you  and  tickle  you  with 
her  ribbons,  without  feeling  so  very  —  shall 
I  say  the  ugly  word  ?  —  fractious  ?  " 

"  I'll  try ;  but  then,  Hannah,  don't  you 
know  that  some  people  are  so  dreadful  good, 
that  it  makes  one  feel  out  of  sorts  to  see 
them?" 

"  Not  much  danger  of  your  ever  making 
any  one  out  of  sorts  in  that  way,  Master  Jack 
Gordon,"  said  his  sister,  evading  the  question. 

"  But  is  it  blackberries,  Ha'nnah  ?  Oh,  yes, 
your  eyes  say  so.  She  must  have  paid  a  lot 
for  them,  for  I'm  sure  they  weren't  raised 
hereabouts." 

"  Well,  it  isn't  blackberries,  you  goose. 
Blackberries  the  middle  of  July !  But  it  is 
this,"  producing  a  light  drawing-board  that 
could  be  placed  on  a  rack,  a  book  of  simple 


82  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

copies,  and  some  colored  crayons.  "  She 
heard  you  say  you  meant  to  try  and  draw 
with  your  left  hand." 

"  Hannah,  I  believe  I  am  —  ashamed  of 
Jack  Gordon.  This  is  jolly  in  her ;  well,  kind 
and  good  then,  if  that  suits ! " 


VICTORY.  83 


CHAPTER  VII. 

VICTORY. 

"  TTANNAH,"  said  Helen  Ashton  to  her 
-•--*-  friend,  as  they  were  walking  home 
from  school  one  day  about  a  week  before  vaca 
tion,  "  do  you  know  what  a  charming  plan 
mamma  has  for  us  this  summer  ?  " 
"  No,  indeed :  how  should  I  ?  " 
"  Oh,  I  thought  perhaps  your  imagination 
had  forestalled  the  reality.  It's  no  more  nor 
less  than  a  plan  for  you  to  go  to  the  White 
Mountains  with  us  in  place  of  my  cousin  Ella 
Norton,  whom  mamma  had  previously  invited 
on  account  of  her  health.  We  wanted  you 
all  the  time,  but  mamma  thought  Ella  needed 
a  change  the  most ;  and  now  dear,  good  Uncle 
Charles  has  invited  her  to  go  to  Newport  with 
him ;  and  Dr.  Chauncy  says  sea-air  is  far 
better  than  mountain  for  her  complaints. 


84  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

You  needn't  feel  any  pricks  of  conscience  as 
to  obligation,  <fcc.,  for  you  know  we  always 
have  some  one  beside  ourselves.  It  is  one 
of  papa's  and  mamma's  pleasant  oddities,  that 
a  pleasure  and  a  good  shared  is  far  more  than 
doubled.  Precisely  by  what  process  of  moral 
arithmetic  they  arrive  at  this  result  I  do  not 
know.  I  only  know  in  this  case  it  is  very  de 
lightful  to  me,  especially  as  mamma  said  that 
I'  deserved  a  companion  for  my  attention  to 
the  poor  old  lady  who  went  with  us  last  year. 
You  know  Mrs.  Groves  ?  If  you  don't,  your 
good  father  does  ;  for  he  has  attended  her  for 
years  without  making  any  charge.  She  has  a 
small  income,  and  no  near  relative  to  depend 
upon :  so  her  friends  are  all  very  kind  to  her. 
Last  year,  papa  heard  your  father  say  to 
mamma,  that  he  thought  an  entire  change 
ol  air  and  scene  would  do  Mrs.  Groves  more 
good  than  medicine :  so  he  proposed  that  she 
should  go  with  us.  She  is  not  very  sick, 
you  know,  only  feeble  and  miserable,  and 
subject  to  fits  of  depression,  since  her  son 
was  killed  in  the  army,  at  the  battle  of  Bull 


VICTORY.  85 

Run.  Mamma  said  she  would  be  very  glad 
to  have  her  go,  and  that  we  could  all  divide 
the  little  care  she  needed.  I  was  glad  to  do 
what  I  could  for  her ;  for  I  pity  people  who 
are  old  and  sad, —  though  she  is  not  really  very 
old ;  only  a  little  over  sixty  :  but  she  seems 
so.  So  now  my  story's  done,  and  don't  you 
dare  say  nay  to  the  plan.  You  see  I'm  quite 
excited  about  it.  Don't  you  like  it  ?  You've 
said  never  a  word." 

"  Like  it  ?  More  than  tongue  can  tell,  — 
only  —  perhaps  —  I  don't  know  —  I'm  not 
quite  sure." 

"  Don't  know  —  not  quite  sure  —  what  lion 
is  in  the  way  now  ?  " 

"  No  lion  ;  at  least,  I  know  I  don't  mean 
to  think  there  is  this  morning.  I  know  I've 
plenty  of  dresses,  such  as  your  mother  would 
think  necessary  for  a  school-girl,  so  that's  no 
obstacle ;  and,  as  to  the  rest,  I  think  we  can 
manage." 

"  The  rest  "  referred  to  Jack  ;  and  though 
Hannah  said  over  and  over  to  herself,  that 
as  he  was  now  getting  better,  and  Frank  was 


86  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

coming  home,  he  would  not  miss  her,  she 
still  felt  some  misgivings  upon  the  subject. 
Helen  had  said  her  mother  would  not  be  able 
to  see  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  till  the  next  day : 
so  perhaps  something  would  happen  before 
that  time  that  would  give  her  an  idea  of 
Jack's  feelings  upon  the  subject. 

Something  did  happen,  sooner  than  she 
expected  ;  for,  as  she  was  going  upstairs  to 
Jack's  room,  she  heard  his  voice  speaking  in 
a  fretful  tone  to  Charlie,  who  had  just  said 
how  jolly  it  was  that  vacation  was  coming. 

"  Oh,  yes !  jolly  to  you,  I  dare  say,  who  can 
run  about  and  play,  and  do  as  you  like,  but 
not  a  bit  jolly  to  me.  I  declare  I'm  as  tired 
as  can  be  of  lying  here ;  and  I  do  believe  none 
of  you  know  how  hard  it  is.  I  suppose  you'll 
be  going  off  to  the  country  next  in  my  place." 

"  I  never  thought  of  such  a  thing.  I'm 
sure  I  wouldn't  go  if  I  had  the  chance,  if 
you  didn't  want  me  to ;  and  as  to  being  jolly, 
why,  we  can't  be  sober  all  the  time ;  though 
we  are  sorry  enough  for  you,  every  one  of 
us." 


VICTORY.  87 

"  Oh !  "  said  Jack,  quite  mollified  by  his 
brother's  earnestness,  and  a  little  ashamed  of 
his  own  fretfulness,  "  I'm  sure  I  don't  want 
you  to  stay  at  home  for  me.  Hannah  has 
planned  lots  of  things  that  we  can  do  to 
gether  ;  and  though  you're  a  nice  little  fel 
low,  Charlie,  when  one  has  the  use  of  his 
legs,  of  course  Hannah  is  the  best  for  a  quiet 
life,  and,  thank  goodness,  she's  to  be  at 
home." 

"  But  there  is  Frank,"  persisted  Charlie, 
quite  astonished  at  hearing  Jack  give  such  a 
decided  preference  to  a  girl,  —  Jack,  who  was 
usually  so  conscious  of  belonging  to  the 
stronger  sex. 

"  Frank's  very  well  too  on  an  occasion  ;  but 
the  truth  is,  he's  most  too  good,  don't  get 
cross  nor  stirred  up  ever,  and  Hannah  does 
sometimes,  though  she's  real  kind  to  me ;  but 
what's  the  use  of  having  all  this  talk  about 
it?"  added  he  fretfully.  "Hannah's  just 
Hannah,  and  nobody  else,  and  Hannah  I  want. 
She  never  says  she's  tired  of  being  with  me, 
and  I  don't  believe  she  is." 


88  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

Poor  Hannah!  down,  down,  tumbled  her 
castle  in  the  air,  literally  ;  for,  in  the  few  mo 
ments  since  she  had  left  Helen,  she  had  taken 
a  rapid  journey  up  to  the  White  Mountains, 
breathed  the  invigorating  air,  viewed  the  grand 
and  beautiful  scenery  of  which  she  had  heard 
so  much,  and  enjoyed  the  society  of  her  friend, 
whom  she  loved  with  girlish  ardor  and  enthu 
siasm.  She  did  not  go  into  Jack's  room  now. 
She  knew  her  face,  honest  as  her  heart,  always 
would  tell  a  story  Jack,  in  his  present  sus 
ceptible  state,  would  at  once  read.  So  she 
toiled  wearily  up  to  her  own  little  room,  all 
the  spring  and  elasticity  taken  out  of  her  step, 
and  a  good  deal  of  it,  for  the  time  being,  out 
of  her  heart.  Mechanically  she  closed  her 
door,  sat  down  by  the  broad  window-sill,  hid 
her  face  in  her  hands,  and,  before  she  was 
aware  of  her  own  condition,  was  sobbing  out 
her  disappointment.  A  girl  trained  in  habits 
of  selfish  thought  and  action  would  have 
brought  up  various  and  plausible  reasons  why 
she  should  not  lose  her  promised  pleasure : 
such  as, — Jack  was  unreasonable;  with  papa, 


VICTORY.  89 

mamma,  the  children,  and,  most  of  all,  Frank, 
to  rely  upon  for  care  and  amusement,  he  could 
not  miss  her  very  much,  or,  if  he  did,  he  ought 
not ;  she  was  tired,  needed  the  change  and 
rest ;  she  might  never  have  such  another  op 
portunity  again ;  it  would  disappoint  Helen 
and  kind  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton,  <fec.,  <fec. 

It  is  true  all  this  did  pass  through  her  mind, 
but  not  as  reasons  why  she  should  go.  Most 
of  us,  young  as  well  as  old,  who  have  had  the 
benefit  of  right  teaching  and  example,  when 
we  come  to  grapple  with  a  question  of  duty, 
are  able  to  decide  at  once  which  is  the  right 
course,  although  we  cannot  always  help  dwell 
ing  upon  the  motives  for  gratifying  our  incli 
nations.  If  Hannah  wavered  in  the  least  as 
to  her  idea  of  right,  Jack's  summary  of  the 
whole  matter  settled  the  question  for  her. 
"  Hannah's  just  Hannah,  and  nobody  else, 
and  Hannah  I  want."  It  made  no  difference 
in  her  clear  perception  of  right,  that  Jack  did 
not  know  that  she  had  the  opportunity  for  this 
great  delight ,  —  pleasure  was  too  tame  a  word 
to  express  her  feelings.  Unconscious  of  it,  he 


90  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

had  expressed  his  strong  preference  for  her. 
He  should  not  be  disappointed  ;  he  should  not 
even  know  that  she  had  the  offer  of  this  jour 
ney  ;  neither  should  her  father  or  mother 
know  it.  She  would  go  and  see  Mrs.  Ashton 
in  the  afternoon,  and  tell  her  just  how  the 
case  stood,  and  ask  her  not  to  speak  of  it  to 
any  one.  If  she  was  to  "  eat  a  crust  of  bread," 
and  this  was  the  very  hardest  crust  she  had 
ever  yet  volunteered  to  dispose  of,  no  one 
should  know  it,  —  no  one,  she  thought  rever 
ently,  but  the  Heavenly  Father,  whose  love 
and  tenderness  seemed  very  near  and  precious 
to  her,  now  that  she,  in  her  generous  spirit  of 
self-sacrifice,  was  uplifted  to  him.  No,  there 
was  no  question  in  her  mind  as  to  what  was 
right.  The  Saviour's  teachings  and  example 
were  not  to  her  a  dead  letter.  Reverently,  but 
lovingly,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  had  taught  their 
children  of  the  Lord ;  and  their  example  had 
gone  hand  in  hand  with  their  instruction. 
Consequently,  as  has  been  seen,  Hannah  had 
not  the  battle  to  fight  that  those  have  who  are 
weak  and  wavering  in  their  ideas  of  duty,  and 


VICTORY.  91 

who  often  manage  to  convince  themselves,  and 
sometimes  others,  wrong  is  right.  The  battle 
she  had  to  fight,  and  it  was  a  hard  one,  was  to 
reconcile  herself  to  doing  cheerfully  the  plain 
duty  before  her.  "God  loveth  a  cheerful 
giver  "  applies  to  gifts  of  the  will  no  less  than 
gifts  of  the  hand. 

The  hardest  battles  are  sometimes  those 
fought  in  a  short  time ;  and  half  an  hour  suf 
ficed  to  Hannah  to  enable  her  to  look  upon 
the  idea  of  remaining  at  home  not  only  with 
out  pain,  but  with  some  sensation  of  pleasure 
at  the  thought  that  she  was  so  essential 
to  Jack's  happiness,  —  Jack,  whose  greatest 
pleasure,  heretofore,  had  seemed  to  be  to  tease 
and  annoy  her.  "  If  I  can  only  keep  them 
all  from  knowing  about  it,  poor  Jack  sha'n't 
have  the  chance  to  say  that  I  ate  this  hard 
crust ; "  and  Hannah  laughed  softly,  even  while 
the  tears  were  still  slowly  falling.  For  Jack 
had,  in  times  past,  been  accustomed  to  call 
Hannah's  little  acts  of  self-denial  "  eating 
crusts  of  bread,"  because  she  had  once  rather 
ostentatiously  reproved  the  younger  ones  for 


92  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

taking  the  soft,  and  leaving  the  crusts,  adding, 
"  I  always  eat  the  crust." 

"  Yes,  and  tell  of  it  too,"  Jack  had  said 
bluntly;  and  so  the  words  passed  into  a  fam 
ily  proverb,  conveying  a  great  deal  of  meaning 
to  those  initiated. 

"  Does  your  head  ache,  dear  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Gordon,  when  Hannah  appeared  at  the  dinner- 
table  after  her  conflict. 

With  perfect  truth  Hannah  could  answer 
that  it  did ;  but,  when  her  mother  suggested 
lying  down  as  a  remedy,  Hannah  said  she 
thought  the  fresh  air  would  do  her  good,  and 
that  she  would  like  to  go  to  Mrs.  Ashton's,  if 
her  mother  did  not  object. 

"  Certainly  not,  my  dear,  and  do  not  hurry 
back." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  going  at  present.  I  haven't 
seen  Jack  since  school ;  and  I  will  sit  with 
him  a  while,  and  rest  myself  at  the  same  time, 
before  I  go  out." 

When  Hannah  stated  her  case  to  Mrs.  Ash- 
ton  with  a  calm  face  but  slightly  trembling 
voice,  she  said,  "  Have  you  consulted  your 
parents,  Hannah?" 


VICTORY.  93 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  have  not ;  and  I  have  come 
so  soon  partly  to  beg  you  not  to  say  any  thing 
to  them  about  it :  they  would  want  me  to  go 
so  much,  and  Jack  would  say, '  Go,'  too ;  and 
no  one  knows,  except  myself,  how  he  really 
does  feel,  and  I  never  should  have  known 
if  I  had  not  overheard  him  talking  to  Char 
lie." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Hannah ;  but  it 
seems  to  me  it  is  too  great  a  good  for  you  to 
give  up  upon  your  own  responsibility." 

"  I  have  thought  that  all  over,  Mrs.  Ashton  ; 
and  I  do  not  see  why,  when  I  know  that  I  am 
right,  I  should  trouble  other  people  to  advise 
me  in  any  thing  that  relates  to  myself  only. 
Papa  said  once,  when  he  was  speaking  of 
Jack,  that  his  course  in  life  depended  very 
much  upon  home  influence,  he  was  so  excitable 
and  impulsive  ;  and  then  he  turned  to  me.  and 
said,  4  You  could  do  a  great  deal  for  Jack, 
Hannah,  if  you  only  knew  how.' 

"  '  I  don't  see  how,  papa,'  I  said, '  when  he 
seems  to  care  so  little  for  me.' 

"  '  Seems  doesn't  amount  to  much  in  a  boy 


94  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

like  Jack,  I  fancy,'  he  said.  *  You'll  find 
the  key  to  his  heart  some  time  if  you  try.' 

"  I  believe  I  have  found  the  key  to  it  now, 
and  I  don't  want  to  lose  it.  You  know  Jack 
is  not  like  Frank ;  and,  from  what  papa  said, 
I  thought  he  meant  that  Jack  would  be  either 
a  very  good  or  bad  man,  according  to  the  in 
fluence  that  was  used  with  him.  I  begin  now 
to  see  how  I  can  help  him,  being  near  his  age, 
and,  as  he  says,  more  like  him  in  temper  than 
Frank ;  that  is,  not  so  good.  It  may  sound 
odd  to  you ;  but  what  I  mean  is,  that  he  will 
talk  to  me  about  things  —  wrong  things  and 
faults  —  when  he  will  not  to  any  one  else  ;  and 
you  know  if  I  have  faults  myself,  and  am  try 
ing  to  conquer  them,  I  can  help  him,  or  we 
can  help  each  other." 

"  I  understand  you  perfectly,  ray  dear,"  said 
Mrs.  Ash  ton,  "  even  the  rather  paradoxical 
statement,  that  you  can  help  him  more  than 
Frank,  because  you  are  not  so  good.  It  is  not 
the  goodness  that  stands  in  Frank's  way  in  help 
ing  Jack,  but  Jack's  feeling  about  it.  I  believe 
you  are  right  in  your  decision,  my  dear.  Sis- 


VICTORY.  95 

ters  little  know  the  influence  they  exert  over 
their  brothers  for  good  or  evil.  Now  is  the 
most  favorable  time  for  you  to  win  Jack's  en 
tire  love  and  confidence ;  and  this  proof  of  love 
that  you  are  now  giving  him,  even  if  he  never 
knows  cf  it,  will  be  blessed  to  you  both.  You 
shrink  from  praise  for  a  sacrifice  that  has  cost 
you  a  hard  struggle,  my  dear  Hannah ;  but  you 
must  let  ine  tell  you  how  much  I  respect 
you  for  it.  And  now  you  have  fairly  won  the 
right  to  name  a  friend  to  take  in  your  place. 
Who  shall  it  be  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  I  might  really  ask  you  to  —  to  —  " 

"  You  really  may  ask  me  to  take  any  one 
whom  you  wish ;  and  I  will  grant  your  wish,  if 
possible." 

"  Lydia  Harris.  Helen  is  fond  of  her,  and 
she  needs  it  far  more  than  I  do:  she  has 
so  little  pleasure  —  I  mean  what  most  girls 
call  pleasure  —  at  home,  and  she  would  so 
enjoy  it." 

"  Lydia  Harris  shall  go,  dear,  if  she  can  and 
will.  I  thought  of  her  before  I  asked  you ; 
but  I  thought  it  was  only  fair  that  you  should 


(J»;  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

give  another  the  gratification  you  had  denied 
yourself."  „ 

"  You  will  be  sure  and  tell  Helen  just  how 
it  is,  Mrs.  Ash  ton  ?  I  hope  she  will  not  think, 
as  I  am  sure  you  do  not,  that  I  do  not  care 
very,  very  much  about  going." 

"  Helen  will  think  as  I  do,  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Ashton,  kissing  her  affectionately,  "  that  a 
kind  sister  is  a  dearer  friend  for  that  kindness. 
Let  us  see  as  much  of  you  as  you  can,  before 
we  go.  One  long  day  after  vacation  you  must 
give  to  Helen :  that  I  shall  claim  as  a  right." 

Hannah  left  Mrs.  Ashton  with  a  lighter  step 
and  heart  than  she  had  carried  to  her.  It 
was  a  great  gratification  to  her  that  she  had 
met  with  Mrs.  Ashton's  full  sympathy  and  ap 
probation  ;  still  more,  her  respect.  To  merit 
that,  from  one  so  much  loved  and  honored  in 
a  wide  circle  of  friends,  was  indeed  something 
to  be  grateful  for.  This  feeling,  the  conflict 
through  which  she  had  passed,  the  victory 
gained,  and  the  softened  state  of  feeling  which 
ensued,  combined  to  give  her  face  an  unusu 
ally  gentle  and  sweet  expression,  which  was 


VICTORY.  97 

noticed  by  both  her  parents  at  the  tea-table. 
During  a  short  drive*  she  had  afterwards  with 
her  father,  she  was  unusually  quiet ;  and, 
when  he  spoke  of  her  plans  for  vacation,  she 
mentioned  several  in  which  Jack  could  take 
part,  and  expressed  her  relief  at  the  prospect 
of  freedom  from  study  for  a  while.  "  Not 
that  I  do  not  like  to  go  to  school  very  much, 
papa ;  but  I  have  had  so  many  headaches  this 
spring  and  summer,  that  I  am  tired  of  study 
for  once.  Jack  and  I  have  concluded  to  be  as 
silly  as  we' like,  and  not  to  open  a  knowledge 
book,  except  the  dictionary,  all  the  vacation  ; 
and,  if  Frank  brings  in  his  heavy  books,  we'll 
expel  him." 

"  Very  wise  for  you,  who  I  fear  have  over 
taxed  that  ready  brain  of  yours ;  but  really  I 
did  not  think  Jack  in  any  danger  from  excess 
of  study.  I  must  look  into  such  an  alarming 
symptom,  —  the  more  alarming,  that  it  is  so 
entirely  new." 

"  Jack  doesn't  like  to  study,  to  be  sure,  papa, 
but  then  he  will  learn  a  great  deal  by  hearing 
and  seeing.  I  laughed  when  he  said  so  ear- 


98  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

nestly,  that  he  didn't  mean  to  look  in  a  study 
book  all  vacation." 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  Dr.  Gordon  was 
alone  with  his  wife,  he  said  to  her,  "  I  can't 
quite  make  Hannah  out.  I  met  Helen  Ashton 
this  afternoon  ;  and  she  told  me  that  her  moth 
er  was  coming  to  see  us  to-morrow,  to  get  our 
permission  to  take  Hannah  with  them  to  the 
White  Mountains.  She  said,  too,  that  Han 
nah,  to  whom  she  mentioned  it  this  morning, 
was  delighted  with  the  idea.  I  naturally  sup 
posed  that  she  would  speak  of  it  while  we 
were  out  driving  this  evening.  On  the  con 
trary,  when  I  asked  her  of  her  plans  for  the 
vacation,  they  all  had  reference  to  Jack,  and 
to  being  at  home." 

"  Something  must  have  occurred,  then,  in 
his  room,  to  make  her  determine  to  stay  at 
home.  Jack  surely  would  not  be  so  selfish  as 
to  wish  her  to  give  up  such  a  gratification. 
Now  I  remember  Hannah  looked  as  if  she  had 
been  crying  to-day  at  the  dinner-table,  but  I 
attributed  it  to  her  headache.  What  can  we 
do  about  it  ?  " 


VICTORY.  99 

"  Nothing  at  all :  if  Hannah  has  decided 
the  matter  herself  without  consulting  us,  it  is 
best  to  let  her  abide  by  her  own  choice.  I 
am  inclined  to  think  she  has  not  done  so 
rashly,  as,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  Mrs.  Gor 
don,  /  have  a  pretty  good  opinion  of  your  eldest 
daughter's  judgment;  and  I  don't  think  she 
would  hastily  or  without  good  grounds  give 
up  a  pleasure  and  an  advantage,  such  as  this 
offer  of  the  Ashtons." 

"  Still,  she  is  so  sensitive  and  conscientious, 
she  may  have  taken  a  mistaken  view  of  her 
duty." 

"  Then  it  is  best  for  her  to  learn  in  this  way 
more  wisdom  for  the  future,  but  I  do  not  think 
she  has  made  any  mistake.  After  the  vaca 
tion  is  over,  I  will  speak  to  her  about  it,  if  she 
does  not  tell  us  herself  previously.  I  under 
stand  your  feeling,  Margaret ;  but  be  sure  the 
sooner  in  life  a  girl  or  a  boy  learns  to  think 
and  act  independently  in  matters  of  duty,  the 
better  it  is  for  them  in  the  future.  A  mistake, 
if  it  is  on  the  side  of  over  conscientiousness, 


100  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

is  of  no  great  moment :  the  habit  of  decision  is 
of  inestimable  importance  to  the  character 
and  to  happiness." 

"  But  her  health,  Frank  ?  " 

"  Will  not  suffer  in  this  healthy  situation. 
Jack  will  soon  be  able  to  be  out  in  his  wheel 
chair  a  good  deal ;  and  then  I  have  a  plan  for 
a  week  or  two  in  August,  to  get  rid  of  some 
of  my  family  for  a  time,  and  leave  me  a  little 
leisure  for  study  or  laziness:  laziness,  I 
think,  will  carry  the  day.  Positively,  madam, 
what  with  your  claims,  and  the  young  Gordons' 
claims,  and  my  patients'  claims,  I've  hardly  a 
chance  to  wink." 

"  I  know  it,  Frank,  and  I  wish  you  didn't 
have  to  work  so  hard." 

"  Nonsense ;  there,  I  have  set  you  off  in  a 
worse  track  than  the  other :  so  let's  return  to 
Hannah.  Don't  you  think  our  little  girl  has 
shown  a  noble  spirit,  to  decide  this  question 
for  herself,  and  then  never  let  us  know  a  word 
about  it  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  do,  and  I  know  just  why  she  did 


VICTORY.  101 

it.  She  did  not  want  to  be  praised  for  doing 
what  she  felt  was  right  to  do,  and  neither  did 
she  want  Jack  to  feel  that  she  had  given  up  so 
much  for  him  ;  though,  by  the  way,  I'm  not 
quite  sure  that  she  didn't  say  something  to 
him  about  it." 

Dr.  Gordon  laughed  heartily,  and  said, 
"  Well  done,  Margaret !  you  build  a  high  mon 
ument  of  praise  one  minute,  and  then  topple 
it  down  the  next.  I  am  almost  sure  that  Jack 
knows  nothing  at  all  about  it.  Now  I  move 
that  this  meeting  and  discussion  be  ad 
journed." 

"  And  I  heartily  second  your  motion, 
only"  — 

" '  Only '  your  tender  mother  heart  still 
regrets  that  Hannah  cannot  have  this  great 
pleasure,  and  the  greater  one  of  doing  what 
she  thinks  right,  at  the  same  time.  Margaret," 
and  here  Dr.  Gordon's  tone  and  look  were 
serious  almost  to  sadness,  "  this  one  act  of 
Hannah's  will  not  only  certainly  work  for  her 
future  good,  but  it  may  be  the  means  of  giv- 


102  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

ing  her  an  influence  over  Jack  which  to  him 
will  make  all  the  difference  between  ruin  and 
salvation." 


VACATION.  103 


CHAPTER  Yin. 

VACATION. 

long-expected  vacation  had  come,  and 
with  it  came  Frank  also.  He  was  a  tall, 
good-looking  boy,  with  rather  a  serious  ex 
pression  of  mouth,  which  seemed  to  rebuke 
his  laughing  eyes  and  saucy-looking  chestnut- 
colored  curls,  which  were  so  thick  as  to  be 
always  tumbling  over  each  other,  defying  all 
law  and  order  in  arrangement. 

After  he  had,  in  their  opinion,  given  suffi 
cient  attention  to  papa,  mamma,  Hannah,  and 
Jack,  and,  though  last,  by  no  means  least  in 
household  estimation,  Prince  Walter,  Frank 
was  seized  by  the  younger  children,  headed  by 
Charlie,  and  literally  dragged  off  to  visit  the 
garden  and  summer  and  hen  houses.  Then 
wonderful  stories  of  the  past  had  to  be  told, 
and  equally  wonderful  plans  for  the  future 


104  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

unfolded,  in  all  which  they  received  the  inter 
est  and  sympathy  of  their  elder  brother. 

Ella,  in  particular,  was  a  perfect  little  ty 
rant  in  her  efforts  to  monopolize  "  Fank," 
obliging  him  to  listen  to  her  stream  of  broken 
prattle,  and  making  him  serve  as  man,  horse, 
or  dog,  as  her  fancy  prompted. 

Jack,  meantime,  was  left  with  his  father 
and  mother ;  and,  as  the  sound  of  their  merry 
voices  and  retreating  footsteps  died  away,  he 
threw  himself  back  upon  his  couch,  closed  his 
eyes,  compressed  his  lips,  and  looked  altogeth 
er  as  dissatisfied  and  surly  a  boy  as  one  would 
often  see. 

Dr.  Gordon  knew,  as  all  true  physicians  do, 
how  to  "  minister  to  a  mind  diseased ;  "  and,  if 
he  could  not  pluck  out  a  rooted  sorrow,  he  at 
least  meant  to  do  his  best  to  prevent  such. 
He  felt  very  tenderly  towards  Jack,  notwith 
standing  his  fretful,  surly  ways.  He  knew 
that  a  boy  not  prostrated  by  fever,  but  merely 
confined  to  inaction  by  a  local  injury,  could 
not  be  in  a  natural  or  healthy  state  of  mind 
or  body,  while  cut  off  from  out-of-door  air 


VACATION.  105 

and  exercise,  to  which  he  had  been  so  freely 
accustomed. 

The  only  thing,  then,  to  be  done  for  him, 
was  to  try  and  direct  his  thoughts  into  another 
channel,  and,  if  he  could  not  go  out,  at  least 
give  him  an  object  of  interest  beyond  himself. 
Something  had  occurred  that  very  morning, 
while  he  was  making  his  round  of  visits,  which 
he  thought  would  serve  to  arouse  and  interest 
this  warm,  generous-hearted  boy,  and  also 
give  Hannah  something  to  do  which  would 
prevent  her  from  dwelling  upon  her  disap 
pointment. 

Accordingly,  Dr.  Gordon  watched  Jack  for  a 
few  moments  as  he  lay  on  his  couch,  and,  see 
ing  no  signs  of  returning  cheerfulness,  said, 
in  his  most  cheery  tones,  which  were  almost 
a  tonic  to  a  dispirited  patient,  "  Jack,  do  you 
know  that  I  saw  a  little  friend  of  yours  this 
morning  ?  " 

"  No,  sir :  who  ?  " 

"  No  less  a  person  than  little  Tommy 
Brown,  whose  ball  you  tried  to  get  the  day 
you  met  with  your  accident." 


106  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"I  wish  he  had  left  his  ball  at  home  that 
day." 

"  So  does  he,  or  lost  it,  or  any  thing,  he 
says,  rather  than  you  should  have  been  in 
jured.  Poor  fellow !  I  pitied  him,  he  felt  so 
badly.  You  know  it  is  so  hard  to  know 
that  one  has  been  the  means  of  injuring  an 
other,  even  without  fault  or  intention.  But 
it  is  not  of  that  I  wished  to  speak  to  you. 
His  mother  is  sick,  always  feeble,  but  now 
confined  to  her  bed  with  a  broken  leg.  Tom 
my  is  chief  cook,  nurse,  and  every  thing  else, 
his  mother  says  ;  *  the  best  little  boy  in  the 
world,  doctor,  I  do  believe,'  she  said  to  me. 
It's  a  poor  place  enough  they  live  in,  —  dingy 
walls  and  broken  furniture,  and  a  yard  that 
might  be  improved ;  but  Tommy  does  all  he 
can,  I  don't  doubt.  They  need  almost  every 
thing.  I  have  already  procured  some  wood 
for  the  little  fire  they  want,  and  some  of  the 
bare  necessaries  of  life  from  the  town  ;  friends 
of  mine,  upon  whom  I  can  call,  will  give  com 
fortable  bedding  and  delicacies  for  the  mother, 
but  still  there  remains  more  to  be  done. 
Would  you  like  to  lend  a  hand  ?  " 


VACATION.  107 

"  I,  papa  ?  I've  no  hand  to  lend  or  feet  either ; 
I  wish  I  had ;  I'd  clear  up  the  yard,  and  per 
haps  I  could  help  in  the  house  too.  I've  no 
money,  so  I  don't  see  that  I  can  do  any  thing." 

"  Oh,  yes,  dear,  you  have  some  money,  or, 
what  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  your  banker 
has  some.  When  I  promised  you  a  visit  to 
your  uncle's  farm,  I  made  a  calculation  that  it 
would  cost  about  ten  dollars  for  the  whole  ex 
pense  of  the  trip.  Now,  as  you  cannot  go,  I 
mean  to  let  you  have  the  ten  dollars  for  your 
own,  with  no  stipulation  as  to  its  use,  except 
it  shall  be  such  as  your  own  conscience  ap 
proves." 

Jack  had  listened  with  sparkling  eyes  and 
glowing  cheeks ;  and  now,  half  rising,  he  ex 
claimed,  "  Do  you  really  mean  it,  papa  ?  ten 
dollars  for  my  very,  very  own  ?  I  know  what  I 
will  do :  I  will  give  it  to  Mrs.  Brown  to  make 
herself  comfortable  with.  No,  that  wouldn't 
be  best.  If  I  could  only  go  there,  and  see  the 
rooms,  and  work, — but  then  there's  Hannah 
and  Frank.  Oh  !  I  know  now,  if  you  like  the 
plan,  what  I'll  do :  I'll  work  by  proxy  at  pres- 


108  STRIVING   1ND  GAINING. 

ent,  and,  when  I  get  well,  I'll  work  myself. 
Couldn't  I  get  the  rooms  painted  and  papered 
for  that  money  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  don't  have  to  pay  for  the 
work." 

"  Well,  I  guess,  if  I  find  the  materials,  Frank 
and  Hannah  can  use  them.  I  must  make  my 
estimates,  papa,  for  I  know  you  always  count 
the  cost  of  every  thing  you  do,  beforehand  ; 
and  you  made  us  do  so  when  you  gave  us  the 
old  shed-room  for  a  play-room,  and  we  wanted 
to  whitewash  it,  and  mend  the  window-frames. 
By  the  way,  ten  dollars  would  pay  for  the 
window  we  want  in  the  east  side  of  the  shed." 

"  Yes  ;  and  you  can  use  the  money  for  that, 
if  you  prefer.  Don't  decide  too  hastily." 

"  I'll  call  a  council  of  three,  —  Frank,  Han 
nah,  and  myself;  though  I'm  pretty  sure  I  have 
decided  already.  How  soon  can  we  begin, 
papa  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  you  like,  at  least  in  the  kitchen. 
By  the  time  that  is  in  order,  Mrs.  Brown  can 
probably  be  moved  out  of  her  bedroom.  She 
has  but  two  rooms  and  a  little  wash-place. 


VACATION.  109 

Tommy  sleeps  in  a  trundle-bed,  under  hers, 
now  she  is  sick.  The  rooms  are  about  twelve 
feet  square.  I  don't  think  you  can  have  any 
painting  done  at  present ;  but  a  little  whitewash 
for  the  ceilings,  buff  for  the  kitchen-walls,  and 
a  neat  paper  on  the  bedroom,  will  make  a  great 
change  in  "the  rooms." 

"  Not  to  mention  a  plentiful  use  of  soap 
and  water,  first  of  all,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon, 
who  had  until  now  been  an  interested  lis 
tener. 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  was  sure  they  came  in  some 
where,  from  their  frequent  use  at  home  ;  but 
really  didnH  know  where  to  begin.  You  see, 
Jack,  after  all,  we  shall  have  to  call  in  your 
mother." 

"Let  me  ask  Frank  and  Hannah  separately 
what  to  do,  and  see  what  they  will  say." 

"Agreed,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  laughing ;  "  and, 
if  Frank  jun.  knows  more  of  such  matters  than 
Frank  sen.,  why,  I  shall  attribute  it  to  the 
degeneracy  of  the  times." 

"  Where  are  they  ? "  asked  Jack  eagerly. 
"  I  want  to  set  about  it  at  once.  I  wish  I 


110  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

could  go  myself;  but,  as  that  can't  be,  I'll  ask 
Hannah  to  go  this  very  afternoon,  and  bring 
me  home  a  word-picture  of  the  place  and  its  — 
capabilities,  I  believe  that  is  the  word  I  want. 
Please  send  Frank  here  first,  papa,  and  then 
Hannah." 

"  Will  it  not  be  best  to  let  them  see  the 
place  and  then  decide  what  reforms  are  most 
needed." 

"No,  indeed,  sir;  because  they'll  talk  it 
over,  and  get  all  mixed  up  in  their  notions. 
Please  to  tell  Frank  just  what  you  told  me, 
and  then  Til  put  them  to  the  question." 

Frank  was  called  in,  the  case  and  Jack's 
wishes  stated  to  him  in  the  most  concise  man 
ner,  and  then  Jack  broke  in  with  "  Now,  Frank, 
what  would  you  do  first  to  the  rooms  ?  " 

"  Paper  and  paint,  and  fix  up  generally." 

"That's  right,  my  boy,"  said  Dr.  Gordon, 
laughing.  "  I'm  glad  you're  no  wiser  than 
your  father.  Now  call  Hannah." 

Tliis  time  it  was  Jack  who  hastily  told  the 
story,  enlarging  upon  the  forlorn  aspect  of  the 
rooms,  and  ending  with,  "  What's  the  first 


VACATION.  Ill 

^  thing  to  be  done  to  make  things  look  nice  and 
pleasant  ?  " 

"  I  can't  be  quite  sure  till  I've  seen  the 
place  ;  but  I  suppose,  of  course,  the  rooms  will 
need  sweeping,  dusting,  and  cleaning,  —  win 
dows  included  in  the  cleaning  process.  Then, 
if  they  are  like  old  Nurse  Jones's,  every  thing 
will  look  a  '  deal  more  comfortable,'  as  she 
said,  when  the  sun  is  let  in.  Next,  I  should 
paper  and  paint ;  and,  when  things  are  re 
placed,  repair,  and  put  in  as  good  order  as 
possible." 

"  Bravo ! "  said  Dr.  Gordon,  "  mother  over 
again,  '  only  more  so.'  Poor  work  we  should 
have  made  of  it,  Frank,  beginning  at  the  end. 
Now,  I  think  of  it,  paint  wouldn't  stick  on 
dirty,  greasy  doors,  <fcc.,  and  dust  would  adhere 
to  new  paint." 

"  Will  you  go  this  afternoon,  Frank  and 
Hannah  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Yes,"  said  Frank,  "  if  Hannah  will  do  the 
talking.  I  hardly  know  how  to  invade  a  per 
son's  premises  with  proposals  to  clean  and 
renew  " 


112  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"I  shall  tell  her  it  is  Jack's  wish  to  do 
something  to  make  her  comfortable ;  and  I 
don't  believe  she  will  object.  Mamma  will 
give  us  something  to  carry,  I  suppose." 

"  I  suppose  she  will,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon, 
"  as  she  already  has  a  basket  packed." 

The  visit  was  paid,  and,  in  little  more  than 
an  hour  after  they  left  home,  Frank  and  Han 
nah  came  back  in  high  spirits.  Hannah  had 
entered  into  the  plan  with  great  zeal.  Dr. 
Gordon  was  right  in  thinking  that  no  more 
effectual  remedy  for  her  disappointment  could 
be  found  than  to  give  her  a  helping  work  to  do 
for  another. 

"  Now,  Hannah,"  said  Jack,  before  she  had 
fairly  got  up-stairs,  "  I'll  shut  my  eyes,  and 
you  can  give  me  the  word-picture." 

"  You  remember  a  little  court  that  leads  out 
of  Avery  Place  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Go  up  that  court  till  you  come  to  a  little 
one-story  house,  once  painted  drab,  on  your 
right ;  open  the  door,  go  into  a  small  passage, 
and  knock  at  a  door,  also  on  your  right.  Go 


VACATION.  113 

in,  and  you  will  see  a  forlorn-looking  room, 
with  green  paper  shades,  torn  and  dirty,  at  the 
windows ;  a  bed  in  one  corner,  covered  with  a 
worn  and  dirty  quilt ;  two  chairs,  one  with 
broken  back,  the  other  whole,  but  defaced ;  a 
little  table  once  of  light  maple  wood,  now  — 
well,  I  don't  know  any  better  name  than  dirt- 
color  ;  a  cracked  china  vase,  on  the  mantel 
shelf ;  two  large  shells,  covered  with  dust ;  and 
a  britannia  lamp.  The  floor  looks  as  if  Tom 
my  had  swept  it,  and  the  bit  of  carpet  beside 
the  bed  is  ragged  and  dirty.  The  next  room 
is  quite  as  forlorn  as  to  paint  and  walls  ;  with 
an  old  stove,  a  square  table,  once,  I  suppose, 
white  ;  a  stool,  one  chair ;  a  small  closet,  with 
cracked  and  broken  crockery  in  it,  including  a 
glazed  teapot.  The  wash-room  contains  two 
tubs,  two  pails,  aii  old  coal-hod,  and  an  old  bas 
ket,  a  heap  of  '  varieties '  in  one  corner ;  and 
there  is  a  broken  step  leading  into  the  yard. 
The  yard  is  about  three  times  as  large  as  the 
kitchen ;  there  is  a  pile  of  broken  crockery, 
bones,  and  odds  and  ends  in  one  corner,  a  plen 
tiful  crop  of  thistles  in  another  place,  and  a 


114  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

great  gap  in  the  fence  between  the  yard  and  a 
neighbor's.  Will  this  do  ?  " 

"  Oh ! "  said  Jack,  uncovering  his  eyes, 
"  I  can  see  the  whole  ;  what  a  lot  I  could  do 
there  with  Tommy  to  help!  but  Frank  will 
do  better  I  dare  say.  What  did  Mrs.  Brown 
say?" 

"  At  first  she  seemed  to  think  that  nothing 
could  be  done.  *  She  couldn't  be  moved,  and 
'twa'n't  no  use,  things  would  go  to  wrack  again 
right  off.'  Then  I  asked  her  a  little  about  her 
past  life,  and  found  out,  that,  when  she  was 
first  married,  she  used*  to  keep  neat  and  clean  ; 
but,  after  a  while,  her  trials  beguny  and,  while 
che'  was  alive,  'twa'n't  no  use  tt>  try, to  keep 
things  straight,  so  she  gave  it  up.  Then, 
when  *  he '  died,  she  was  took  sick,  and;ali  they 
could  do  was  just  to  worry  through ;  and,  now 
that  her  leg  was  broken,  she  didn't  see  how 
they  ever  could  get  along.  I  talked  about 
Tommy,  and  that  roused  her,  and  she  began 
to  feel  interested,  and  said  we  might  do  what 
we  pleased  to  the  kitchen  and  yard,  and  that 
she  was  very  grateful  to  Master  Jack  for  his 


VACATION.  115 

interest.  Now,  Master  Jack,  after  to-morrow,  I 
am  at  your  service.  What  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  with  a  very  business-like 
air,  "  the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  for  me  to 
find  out  the  probable  expense  of  the  repairs 
needed,  so  that  we  shall  not  exceed  our  means ; 
and  then  Frank  will  "  — 

"  Frank  has,"  interrupted  his  brother,  "  be 
gun  his  work  already.  I  took  the  measure  of 
the  broken  step  in  the  yard,  and  mean  to  fix 
that  first,  and  then  the  gap  in  the  fence.  I 
told  Tommy  to  take  a  basket,  and  carry  off  to 
a  place,  not  far  distant,  the  town  is  filling  up 
preparatory  to  laying  out  a  new  street,  the 
rubbish  in  the  yard,  advising  him  to  keep  the 
bones,  and  sell  them." 

"  There ! "  said  Jack,  with  a  crestfallen 
expression.  "  I  forgot  entirely  that  I  was  to 
consult  with  you  and  Hannah,  whether  we 
should  use  the  money  for  Mrs.  Brown,  or  take 
it  for  that  window  we  want  so  much  in  the 
shed.  I  hope  you  don't  care  much,  either  of 
you  ;  for  I'd  rather  help  Mrs.  Brown." 

"  And  as  the  mouey  is  yours,  and  not  ours, 


116  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

Jack,"  said  Hannah,  "  I  don't  see  why  you 
shouldn't  do  as  you  like  with  it,  even  if  we  do 
care ;  but,  for  one,  I  am  very  much  interested 
in  brightening  up  Mrs.  Brown." 

"  And  I  also,"  said  Frank :  "  so  the  good 
work  shall  go  on,  and  Howard  Grey  is  to  help 
me  paper,  when  we  come  to  that  part." 

"  All  right,  then :  go  ahead,  Frankie,  and 
I'll  foot  the  bills ;  only  mind,  and  see  what 
you  can  do  with  ten  dollars,  —  how  much,  I 
mean." 

"  Certainly  ;  but  I  must  ask  father,  first  of 
all,  whether  I  may  use  his  pieces  of  board, 
nails,  <fec." 

"  Of  course ;  because  you  know  he  never 
lets  us  take  his  consent  for  granted." 

"  And  I  must  ask  mamma  how  much  of  the 
cleaning  process  I  may  undertake,  and  who  I 
shall  get  to  do  what  I  can't,"  said  Hannah. 

The  next  day  Hannah  spent  with  the  Ash- 
tons  :  and,  although  she  and  Helen  mingled 
their  regrets  that  they  were  not  to  pass  the 
vacation  together,  they  soon  began  to  talk  upon 
other  subjects ;  and  Hannah  interested  Mrs. 


VACATION.  117 

Ashton  so  strongly  for  Mrs.  Brown,  that  she 
promised  her  a  bundle  towards  the  comfort 
of  the  bedroom.  Many  a  bundle  of  Mrs.  Ash- 
ton's  had  Hannah  seen  at  her  father's  dis 
posal,  in  aid  of  his  poor  patients ;  and  her  eyes 
sparkled  with  pleasure  at  the  prospect  of  hav 
ing  the  contents  of  one  to  appropriate  herself. 
Then  Mrs.  Ashton  gave  her  six  little  white 
aprons  to  make  for  the  fair  in  the  course  of 
her  vacation,  which  she  gladly  undertook.  It 
did  not  seem  much  to  her;  for  Mrs.  Gordon, 
amongst  other  "  old-fashioned  ideas,"  thought 
no  girl's  training  complete  who  did  not  know 
how  to  sew  neatly.  Helen  promised  to  collect 
materials  for  baskets,  frames,  <fec.,  while  she 
was  away,  which  they  could  make  together 
after  her  return.  But  the  thing  that  gave 
Hannah  the  most  delight  was  a  prettily  bound 
volume  of  Natural  History,  illustrated  with 
cuts,  which  Mrs.  Ashton  gave  her  to  carry 
home  for  Jack,  who  was  interested  in  such 
subjects.  When  she  put  it  into  his  hands 
that  evening,  she  said  to  him,  laughing,  "  I 
suppose  you  won't  call  this  a  study  book: 
will  you?" 


118  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"No,  indeed:  I  call  it  a  pleasure  book. 
How  came  Mrs.  Ashton  to  give  it  to  me? 
Seems  to  me  everybody  is  very  kind." 

"  So  it  seems  to  me,"  said  Dr.  Gordon ; 
"  and  I  am  glad  to  find  you  are  growing  so 
much  kinder  to  yourself  than  you  were  a  little 
while  ago." 

"Kinder  to  myself!  That's  one  of  your 
funny  notions,  papa." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  call  a  little  boy  very 
unkind  to  himself  who  suffers  himself  to  get 
fractious  and  impatient  at  what  can't  be 
helped." 

"  Oh  ! "  said  Jack, "  I  understand  now :  well, 
I  WAS  real  cross  and  contrairy,  but  I  don't 
mean  to  be  any  more ;  though,  to  be  sure, 
I  should  have  no  excuse  now,  with  all  this 
work  going  on,  and  Hannah  at  home  so 
much." 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  understood  the  grati 
fied  flush  upon  Hannah's  face,  as  Jack  said 
this  ;  and,  when  they  were  alone,  Dr.  Gordon 
said,  "  I  feel  quite  elated  at  the  success  of  iny 
plan :  it  has  taken  the  surly  out  of  Jack's  face, 


VACATION.  119 

and  as  for  Hannah,  dear  child,  how  bright  and 
happy  she  looks !  I  think  my  moral  tonic  is 
working  well." 

"  Yes,  that  it  is ;  and  you  may  be  sure  Mrs. 
Ashton  knew,  that,  in  getting  that  book  for 
Jack,  she  was  doing  what  would  please  Han 
nah  far  more  than  a  direct  gift  to  herself." 


120  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MORE  RESULTS  FROM   DR.   GORDON'S  TONIC. 

"  T  FEEL  so  much  stronger,"  said  Jack  to 

-*-  his  mother,  two  days  after  Dr.  Gordon's 
happily  devised  plan  had  been  spoken  of,  "  that 
I  think  I  can  do  something  for  Mrs.  Brown 
myself.  I  can  almost  walk  now,  and  my  wrist 
is  ever  so  much  better." 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  it  is  so ;  but  you  must 
be  careful  not  to  try  and  do  too  much,  and  put 
yourself  back.  One  thing,  though,  you  can  do. 
I  found  this  white  vase  in  the  closet ;  and,  if 
you  like,  I  will  lend  you  my  decalcomania  ma 
terials,  and  you  can  ornament  it  at  your  leisure 
for  Mrs.  Brown's  mantel-shelf." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  jolly  fun !  " 

Mrs.  Gordon  laughed,  and  said, "  I  shouldn't 
call  it  jolly  fun,  but  every  one  to  their  own  taste. 
Here  are  Frank  and  Hannah  for  orders." 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  121 

"  Orders  and  advice  both,  mamma,"  said 
Hannah,  —  "orders  from  Jack,  advice  from 
you." 

"  My  orders  are,  to  work  as  fast  as  you  can, 
and  make  everybody  else  do  the  same." 

"  And  my  advice  is,"  said  their  mother,  "  to 
work  moderately,  so  that  your  undertaking 
will  be  a  pastime,  and  not  a  weariness." 

"  May  I  not  clean  out  the  closet,  sweep  and 
dust  the  kitchen,  and  wash  the  windows,  to 
day,  mamma  ?  "  asked  Hannah. 

"  No,  my  dear :  if  you  sweep  and  dust,  and 
clean  out  the  closet,  that  will  do  for  to-day ; 
to-morrow  you  can  have  Ann,  Bridget's  sis 
ter,  to  scrub  and  clean  the  paint,  and  you  can 
wash  the  windows  then,  if  you  choose.  Don't 
lift  any  thing  heavy:  Frank  will  do  that  for 
you." 

"  There's  nothing  heavy  to  lift  but  the  cook 
ing-stove  ;  and  I  don't  think  that  will  need  to 
be  moved." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Frank.  "  I 
think  I  can  have  it  placed  where  it  will  not 
take  up  the  room  it  does  now ;  but  I've  no 


122  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

time  to  spend  in  talking.  That's  a  sensible 
rig  you  have  on,  Hannah,  to  work  in." 

"  Yes :  you  know  I  always  have  one  rather 
dark  calico  dress,  with  short  sleeves  and  sack, 
for  a  working-dress ;  and  here's  my  big  apron 
to  put  on  when  I  get  there.  What  have  you 
got,  Frank,  —  overalls  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  a  linen  sack.  Good-by  to  you 
all.  Don't  forget  to  try  and  copy  that  head 
for  me,  Jack.  If  I  work  for  you,  you  must 
do  the  same  for  me.  I've  a  notion  you'll  do 
it  very  nicely." 

A  shade  of  discontent  passed  over  Jack's 
face  as  Frank  and  Hannah  went  gayly  to  their 
work  ;  but  Sammy  came  in  most  opportunely, 
and  soon  set  him  off  into  laughing  by  his 
efforts  to  cross  the  floor  without  tumbling, 
which  efforts  resulted  in  sundry  lurches  and  a 
final  prostration  at  Jack's  feet,  after  which 
Jack  amused  himself  in  sending  him  on  little 
errands  till  he  was  tired  of  laughing.  Then 
he  asked  his  mother  for  the  drawing  materials, 
and  commenced  drawing,  with  his  left  hand, 
the  head  Frank  had  spoken  of.  He  had  a 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  123 

taste  for  drawing,  and,  since  he  was  disabled, 
had  practised  using  his  left  hand.  The  time 
passed  so  quickly  that  eleven  o'clock  came  be 
fore  he  was  aware  ;  and  with  it  came  Frank 
and  Hannah,  ready  with  their  report. 

Frank  said  that  he  had  mended  the  step  and 
fence,  without  a  bit  of  expense,  and  that  the 
first  was  now  firm  and  safe  ;  that  he  had  also 
put  on  a  new  hinge  to  the  door  leading  out  of 
the  kitchen,  and  had  assorted  some  rubbish 
for  Tommy  to  dispose  of;  and  that  he  should 
wait  for  a  cool  evening,  and  then  he  meant  to 
make  a  change,  with  Tommy's  help,  in  that 
out  place  and  yard  that  would  astonish  every 
body.  As  for  the  stove,  he  must  spend  a  little 
money  for  a  bit  of  funnel  for  that,  and  for  the 
time  of  the  man  who  would  put  it  in.  If 
father  could  have  seen  the  dust  Hannah  raised, 
he  would  have  been  more  convinced  than  ever 
of  the  propriety  of  beginning  with  the  broom. 
She  looked  like  a  very  happy  little  witch,  he 
said,  flourishing  her  broom-stick,  and  with  her 
hair  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief. 

"  Yes  ;   and  you  don't  know,  mamma,  how 


124  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

much  better  Mrs.  Brown  is.  She  says  the 
pain  lias  left  her,  and  that,  if  she  can  be  quiet 
and  keep  still  a  while  longer,  she  believes  she 
can  use  her  leg  soon.  I  hope  Tommy  will 
keep  the  closet  clean  till  she  gets  about.  It 
was  dirty  enough ;  but  it  was  fun  to  see  the 
dirt  come  out,  and  the  shelves  look  so  nice. 
She  asked  me  what  I  was  doing ;  and,  when  I 
told  her,  she  said  it  was  *  a  shame  for  me  to  be 
cleaning  up  after  an  old,  dirty  woman  like 
her ;  but,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  miss,  I  had 
kinder  lost  heart,  and  nobody  seemed  to  care 
for  me,  but  I  dare  say  that  was  all  my  fault ; 
now  I  mean  to  do  better  when  I  gets  well,  and 
make  poor  little  Tommy's  home  pleasant  for 
him ;  such  a  good  boy  as  he  is,  too. ' 

"  Dust !  I  guess  there  was  dust  enough  back 
of  the  stove,  and  over  the  doors  and  windows, 
to  —  well,  to  make  a  pretty  good-sized  cloud. 
Frank  declared  he  couldn't  see  me  at  first. 
We  had  such  fun !  I  declare  I  believe  I  take 
a  savage  delight  in  cleaning  up.  What  a  very 
common  little  miss  I  must  be,  according  to 
Eva  Barton. 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  125 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Oh !  she  said  one  day  she  hated  all  house 
work,  that  no  lady  should  ever  drudge,  and 
that,  for  her  part,  she  thought  it  was  a  mark  of 
a  low  mind  to  like  to  work.  I  thought  to-day 
that  I  must  have  a  very  low  mind  according  to 
her  ideas  ;  for  I  was  ten  times  happier  bringing 
out  the  shine  at  Mrs.  Brown's  than  I  was  at 
her  party." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  that  little  mass  of 
hoops  and  flounces  call  you  low-minded,"  said 
Jack  excitedly. 

"  Hey  day !  "  said  Frank,  "  she  didn't :  so 
you  needn't  flare  up  about  it." 

"And  even  if  she  had,  Jack,"  said  his 
mother,  "  it  wouldn't  have  made  her  so,  you 
know ;  and  it  is  foolish  ever  to  care  what  a 
vain  silly  child  like  Eva  says.  She  is  more  to 
be  pitied  than  blamed. 

"  It  seems  to  me  this  work  is  putting  the 
shine  on  people  as  well  as  things.  Who 
knows  how  much  shine  these  ready  hands, 
aided  by  Jack's  ten  dollars,  will  bring  out  from 
the  heart  into  human  faces.  I  know  two  at 


126  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

home  who  have  already  gained  in  that  respect, 
and  I  anticipate  great  pleasure  iii  seeing  Mrs. 
Brown  when  your  work  is  all  done." 

"  Shine  into  faces,  out  from  the  heart  ? " 
said  Jack,  "  that  must  mean  looking  happy, 
and  being  happy ;  and  I  know  what  makes  us 
happy  ;  don't  you,  Hannah  ? " 

"  I  know  one  thing  that  makes  me  happy 
particularly  just  now,"  was  her  answer,  "  and 
that  is  to  be  so  busy  helping  others  as  to  forget 
myself." 

"  That's  it,"  said  Jack, "  I  know  ;  for,  before 
this  very  jolliest  plan  in  the  world  was 
thought  of,  I  was  all  the  time  thinking  about 
myself,  wishing  I  could  do  this  or  that,  and  I 
felt  mighty  cross  because  I  couldn't.  Now  I'm 
dreadfully  impatient  sometimes  to  be  well,  but 
I  don't  feel  cross  a  bit." 

"  Speaking  of  shine,"  said  Frank,  with  a 
merry  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  "  I  think  there's 
considerable  of  that  latent  element  in  Mrs. 
Brown's  old  stove,  though  it  looks  now  as  if  a 
brush  and  itself  had  never  met.  I  intend  to 
see  what  I  can  do  in  that  line  to-morrow.  It 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  127 

will  serve  in  place  of  a  gymnastic  exercise. 
Let's  look  at  your  drawing,  Jack.  No  ?  Well, 
I  can  wait." 

"  It's  well  you  can,  sir,  for  never  a  look  shall 
you  have  at  my  left-handed  performance  till 
it's  finished.  All  geniuses,  you  know,  work 
on  for  a  while  by  themselves." 

Early  the  next  morning,  Frank  and  Hannah 
started  off  again  upon  their  labor  of  love, 
accompanied  this  time  by  Ann,  a  stout  Irish 
woman,  who  expressed  very  decidedly  her 
astonishment  that  master  and  miss  should  be 
willing  to  do  such  dirty  work  for  "  the  likes 
of  them." 

"  We  don't  call  it  work,  Ann :  we  just  make 
play  .of  it,"  said  Hannah. 
j*.#Play,  is  it?     An'  indade,  thin,  I  wish  jist 
ye'd  come  and  do  some  of  the  same  sort  of 
play  for  me." 

"  But  you  are  able  to  work,  and  Mrs.  Brown 
isn't." 

"  Able,  is  it  ?  so's  she  able  enough,  I'll  war 
rant.  I'd  not  mind  taking  to  me  bed  awhile,  if 
I  could  get  rid  of  the  work  this  hot  weather." 


128  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Well,"  said  Hannah,  laughing,  "  when 
you  have  a  broken  leg,  just  send  for  us,  and 
we'll  see  what  we  can  do  for  you ;  and  now  I 
want  you  to  clear  up  just  as  nicely  for  Mrs. 
Brown  as  for  mamma,  and  you  know  that's 
nice  as  can  be." 

"  If  you  say  so,  I  will ;  but  indade,  if  the 
likes  of  her  want  claning  done,  she  better  do 
it  for  herself  when  she's  on  her  legs.  To 
look  at  the  place,  niver  a  bit  of  real  scrubbing 
has  been  done  for  many  a  day." 

Despite  her  grumbling,  however,  Ann,  who 
was  a  real  mistress  of  the  art  of  cleaning,  put 
out  her  will  and  strength  in  such  a  manner, 
that  two  hours'  hard  work  sufficed  to  remove 
several  shades  of  dinge  and  dirt  from  the 
paint,  and  prepare  it  for  the  new  coat  it  was 
to  have.  Hannah,  meantime,  in  spite  of  Ann's 
remonstrances,  had  washed  and  polished  the 
two  windows  to  such  an  extent  of  brightness, 
that  the  room  looked  as  if  a  flood  of  light  had 
been  let  into  it.  Frank  was  not  idle.  A 
man  had  brought  in  the  requisite  piece  of  pipe 
for  the  stove,  and  had  changed  its  position 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  129 

so  as  to  materially  increase  both  room  and 
convenience ;  and  then  Prank  had  "  set  to,"  as 
he  said,  with  a  will,  and  astonished  even  him 
self  at  the  polish  he  put  upon  it. 

"  We  certainly  are  not  quite  as  clean  as 
Dr  Gordon's  children  might  be,  Hannah," 
he  said  at  the  close  of  his  work,  looking  rue 
fully  down  upon  his  blackened  overalls  ;  "  the 
worst  of  it  is,  I've  worked  so  hard,  I've  met 
with  an  accident,  and  must  wear  these  home 
whether  or  no." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  ;  we'll  slip  round  through 
Poplar  Street,  and  nobody'll  see  us.  If  they 
do,  there's  a  pair  of  us,  at  any  rate ;  for  I've 
both  wet  and  torn  my  dress." 

"  It's  jist  me  opinion,  that  I  shall  give  axed 
or  not,  that  ye're  jist  a  piece  with  yer  fayther, 
who's  always  been  imposed  upon,  and  slavin' 
himself  for  folks  that  ain't  no  gratitude  about 
'em.  A  jintleman's  a  jintleman,  and  so  is  his 
childer ;  and  they've  no  occasion  to  be  doin' 
common  folks'  dirty  work  for  'em.  Yer  fayther 
— bless  his  blue  eyes  and  heartsome  laugh — is 
jist,  savin'  yer  presence,  the  asiest  imposed-on 


130  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

man  a  goin'.  I'd  be  ashamed  to  be  seen  in  the 
street  wid  yees  myself,  and  yees  Dr.  Gordon's 
children  too,"  said  Ann,  in  a  rapid  burst  of 
indignation. 

"  You  needn't,  Ann,  for  you've  got  to  stay 
and  finish  the  floor,"  said  Hannah :  "  so  we 
sha'n't  disgrace  you." 

"  Come,  Frank,  the  sooner  we're  off  the 
better.  Good-by,  Mrs.  Mahoney,"  she  added, 
laughing :  "  I  hope  you'll  be  better  pleased  the 
next  time  I  see  you.  Don't  go  in  to  disturb 
Mrs.  Brown :  she  had  a  bad  night,  and  is  try 
ing  to  go  to  sleep." 

Hannah  did  not  wait  to  hear  the  epithets 
Mrs.  Ann  Mahoney  bestowed  upon  poor  Mrs. 
Brown,  but  ran  off  to  overtake  Frank,  who  had 
already  started.  They  had  nearly  reached 
home,  and  had  just  turned  into  a  short  street, 
out  of  which  there  was  no  egress,  except  by 
turning  back  or  keeping  on;  when,  on  the  very 
same  sidewalk  upon  which  they  were,  they 
saw  Eva  Barton  and  Anna  Blake  coming 
towards  them  in  full  dress,  and  with  the  air 
of  conscious  importance  which  marked  these 
young 


They  saw  Eva  Karton  and  Anna  Blake  coming  towards  them.  —  I'nge  1,10. 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  131 

"  Oh !  "  said  Hannah,  under  her  breath,  but 
with  a  volume  of  meaning  in  the  simple  inter 
jection  to  Frank,  who  knew  his  sister's  sensi 
tiveness. 

"  There's  nothing  for  it,  Hannah,  but  to 
face  the  situation.  Don't  look  as  if  you  were 
ashamed  of  yourself." 

"  I  declare,"  said  Eva  Barton  to  Anna,  "  if 
there  isn't  Frank  and  Hannah  Gordon !  What 
perfect  frights !  Let's  cross  over,  and  make 
believe  we're  going  to  Mrs.  Dale's." 

"  Too  late  for  that,"  said  Anna.  "  For  my 
part,  I  shall  enjoy  their  mortification." 

She  had  very  little  to  enjoy,  however ;  for 
Frank  bowed  in  the  most  self-possessed  man 
ner  as  they  passed,  merely  saying,  "  I  am 
sorry  that  the  nature  of  my  morning's  work 
prevents  me  from  offering  you  my  hand," 
while  Hannah  answered  their  cool  nod  with 
one  as  cool,  and  passed  on. 

"  Not  annihilated  quite,  Hannah  ?  "  said 
Frank,  laughing  heartily.  "  I  don't  much 
blame  them,  though.  I'm  afraid  mother 
would  be  ashamed  of  us  just  now." 


132  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

Frank  was  partly  right ;  for  they  met  their 
mother  as  they  went  into  the  house,  and  she 
at  once  exclaimed  at  their  appearance.  "  You 
must  manage  to  look  neatly,  at  least,  in  the 
streets,"  she  said ;  "  but  young  workers  are 
very  apt  to  disfigure  themselves  in  undertak 
ing  to  renovate  for  other  people." 

"  We've  met  our  punishment  already, 
mother,"  said  Frank,  putting  on  his  gravest 
look.  "  We're  fresh  from  an  encounter  with 
Miss  Eva  and  Miss  Anna.  The  air  with 
which  Anna  kept  her  ample  skirts  from  com 
ing  in  contact  with  our  poor  Cinderella  was 
amazing  to  me ;  but  then  I'm  only  a  '  great 
overgrown  school  boy,'  you  know." 

When  the  family  met  in  the  evening,  in 
Jack's  room,  to  consult  as  to  the  plans  for  the 
next  day's  work,  Hannah  gave  an  amusing 
account  of  Mrs.  Mahoney's  displeasure,  and 
their  meeting  with  Eva  and  Anna,  much  to 
Jack's  amusement  and  indignation.  Dr.  Gor 
don  laughed  ;  but  said  he  should  advise  a  littlo 
more  regard  to  appearance  in  the  streets  in 
the  future,  as  cleanliness  was  next  to  godliness, 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  133 

and  in  fact,  in  his  view,  very  intimately  associ 
ated  with  it. 

Jack  listened  patiently  as  he  could,  till  his 
father  had  concluded,  and  then  said,  "  Now 
what's  up  for  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  What  is  to  be  done  to-morrow,"  said 
Frank,  with  a  significant  emphasis  upon  .the 
word  done,  "  is  first  of  all  to  buff-wash  the 
walls  of  the  kitchen.  Then  I  have  discovered 
a  hole  in  the  shed-floor,  covered  by  a  tub,  and 
that  I  propose  to  mend  with  a  piece  of  board, 
which  is  my  own  property ;  next,  I  shall  drive 
up  several  large  nails,  for  articles  to  hang 
upon,  that  have  heretofore  been  thrown  in  a 
promiscous  puddle  in  the  floor.  After  Tommy 
has  taken  off  his  load  of  rubbish  from  the  shed 
and  yard,  and  swept  the  former,  I  intend  to 
give  it  a  final  sweeping  preparatory  to  Mrs. 
Mahoney's  wet  scrubbing  with  a  broom.  She 
informed  me  that  she'd  not  get  on  her  hands 
and  knees  to  clane  up  that  floor,  for  all  the 
Mrs.  Browns  in  Ameriky.  So  I  meekly  sub 
mit,  where  resistance  availeth  not." 

"  And  as  for  me,"  said  Hannah,  "  I  am  at  a 


134  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

complete  stand,  till  Mrs.  Brown  can  be  moved. 
I  do  wish"  — 

"  Wish  what  ?  "  said  her  father :  "  if  it  is 
a  reasonable  wish,  it  shall  be  granted." 

"  Oh,  it's  no  use  telling  it,  I  suppose  ;  but  I 
do  wish  that  some  good  fairy  would  just  take 
Mrs.  Brown  and  Tommy,  and  carry  them  off 
to  the  country  for  a  week  or  two.  If  we  put 
her  in  the  kitchen,  all  the  shine'll  be  off  there, 
before  the  rest  is  done ;  and  then  how's  she 
going  to  be  comfortable  with  that  hot  stove 
beside  her  bed  ?  " 

"  Wouldn't  a  good  woman  answer  your  pur 
pose  as  well  as  a  good  fairy  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Gor 
don  ;  "  because,  if  she  would,  I  know  a  very 
good  one  who  proposed  just  the  plan  you  sug 
gest  this  morning,  and  not  only  proposed  it, 
but  took  instant  measures  to  see  that  it  was 
carried  into  effect." 

"  I  know,"  said  Jack  ;  "  it  was  mamma,  and 
that  was  what  you  took  your  drive  together 
about '  upon  a  little  matter  of  business '  this 
forenoon.  Oh,  how  splendid  !  but  then  ten  dol 
lars  won't  fix  up  her  house,  and  pay  their  board 
too?" 


DR.  GORDON'S  TONIC.  135 

"  Whose  house  ?  —  your  mother's  ?  And 
whose  board  ?  Seems  to  me  you  are  a  little 
confused." 

"  Oh !  you  know  just  what  I  mean ;  but  will 
it?" 

"  Not  quite.  The  matter  of  paying  the 
board  is  easily  settled,  as  Mrs.  Ashton  left  me 
her  almoner  while  she  was  away.  Mrs.  Brown 
has  an  old  friend,  of  whom  she  has  spoken  to 
me,  living  three  or  four  miles  out  in  the  coun 
try,  in  Westville,  in  a  cosey  little  house,  where 
fresh  air  and  sunshine  are  to  be  found.  She  . 
gladly  consented,  at  your  mother's  solicitation, 
to  take  Mrs.  Brown  and  Tommy,  for  a  reason 
able  consideration,  to  board.  In  a  few  days  I 
think  she  can  be  moved,  and  then,  young 
folks,  you  must  make  the  most  of  your  time  ; 
for  I  shall  allow  you  but  two  weeks,  from  the 
time  you  commenced,  to  finish  all  your  improve 
ments." 

"  That's  all,  and  more  than  all,  we  want," 
said  Frank  and  Hannah  together. 


STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PLAY-WORK. 

"  TjlIGHTEEN  hours  of  hard  work,  mum,  at 
-^  fifteen  cints  an  hour:  that's  two  dol 
lars  and  siventy  cints,  as  I  make  it ;  and 
sure  it's  money  hardly  arned,  too.  That's 
what  I  have  for  claning  in  ladies'  houses,  where 
the  dirt's  not  to  be  spoken  of;  but  here,  indade 
I've  the  pain  in  me  shoulder,  and  sometimes 
in  me  heart  since ;  for  sure  it  was  jist  dirt 
upon  dirt,  and  that's  true  for  ye." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  to  whom  the 
above  was  addressed  by  Mrs.  Ann  Mahoney, 
"  I  don't  doubt  the  work  is  well  worth  the 
money.  I  wasn't  objecting  to  the  price,  only 
wondering  if  Jack  could  afford  it.  That  of 
course  makes  no  difference  to  you,  and  I  will 
pay  you  at  once,  and  then  Jack  can  settle  with 
me  when  he  pays  his  other  bills.  You  washed 
the  bedding  and  all  ?  " 


PLAY  WORK.  137 

"  Indade  I  did  that,  an'  it's  many  a  long  day 
since  it  was  done  afore ;  an'  you  know  you 
said  I  was  to  sweep  and  dust  and  all,  in  the 
bedroom,  an'  so  I  did,  laving  nothing  for  miss, 
but  to  polish  up  the  windys,  more's  the  pity  to 
let  her  do  that  same  at  all." 

"  All  right,  Ann,  and  I  am  sure  the  work  is 
faithfully  done,  and  you  will  be  glad  to  know 
you've  helped  to  make  a  poor  woman  comfort 
able." 

"  Indade,  thin,  an'  I  don't  care  for  that  at 
all :  it's  yerself  I  worked  for.  The  woman's 
no  good." 

"  I've  paid  the  bill  for  you,  Jack,"  said  his 
mother,  going  back  to  his  room,  from  whence 
she  had  been  called  to  see  Ann. 

"  Why  did  you  ?  you  know  I  am  to  pay  all 
myself." 

"  It  was  larger  than  I  supposed  it  would  be, 
though  none  too  large  for  the  work  Ann  has 
done  ;  and,  as  I  prevented  Hannah  from  doing 
all  she  wished  to,  I  consider  myself  responsible 
for  all  over  and  above  what  you  are  able  to 
pay.  So  let  it  rest,  dear,  till  the  other  bills 
come  in." 


138  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

Dr.  Gordon  kept  his  word,  and,  in  three 
days  after  the  conversation  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  he  carried  Mrs.  Brown  out  to  West- 
ville  in  a  light  easy  wagon.  After  she  had 
gone,  Mrs.  Ann  Mahoney  went  to  work  with  a 
will  to  get  through  her  part  of  the  "  dirty  job," 
with  the  result  related  above.  Then  came  the 
white  and  buff  washing,  which  Frank  did  by 
himself,  with  Charlie  as  waiter  and  spectator; 
next  the  papering,  in  which  he  was  helped  by 
Howard  Grey  and  Hannah,  the  two  boys  put 
ting  on  the  paper,  and  Hannah  applying  the 
paste. 

As  they  were  working  merrily  together,  one 
day,  Howard  said  mischievously  to  Hannah, 
while  Frank's  attention  was  diverted  to  some 
thing  else,  "  What's  the  use  of  all  this  hard 
work  ?  I  dare  say,  your  Harry  would  foot  the 
bills,  if  he  knew  about  it." 

"  I  dare  say  he  would,"  said  Hannah  ;  "  but 
you  see  I  prefer  to  be  independent." 

"Oh,  that's  it,  is  it?  I  didn't  know  but 
there  was  another  obstacle  in  the  way.' 

"  There  is ;  for  forty  Harrys  to  pay  couldn't 


PLAY- WORK.  139 

make  it  half  the  pleasure  that  it  is  to  do,  or 
help  do,  this  work  myself.  I've  a  positive 
mania  for  making  things  shine.  See  this 
lamp,"  she  added,  taking  up  Mrs.  Brown's  bri- 
tannia  lamp,  which  she  had  polished  to  look 
like  silver :  "  it  was  as  black  —  yes,  quite  as 
black  as  your  shoe,  when  I  took  it  in  hand." 

"  But  to  return  to  Harry  :  who  is  he  ?  " 

"  You  know  just  as  well  as  I  do,  Howard ; 
and,  as  I  told  you  the  other  day,  you  used  to 
enjoy  pretending  about  people  and  things  just 
as  much  as  I  did  years  and  years  ago,  when 
you  wore  sacks  instead  of  jackets." 

"  So  I  did ;  but  I've  given  it  all  up  long 
ago,  and  supposed  that  you  had  done  the  same. 
I'm  happy  to  know,  however,  that  your  ac 
quaintance  with  'Harry'  is  no  greater  than 
my  own." 

"  Order  there !  "  called  out  Frank.  "  I  shall 
report  you  to  our  boss  as  idlers. 

'  Up,  my  comrades !  up  and  doing ! 

Manhood's  rugged  play 
Still  renewing,  bravely  hewing 
Through  the  world  our  way. ' " 


140  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"Thanks  for  your  reproof,"  said  Howunl, 
"  though  your  poetical  quotation  seems  a  little 
wide  of  the  mark :  there's  not  much  *  hewing ' 
going  on  here !  " 

"  0  Howard  Grey !  you're  as  practical  as 
Charlie,  who  will  have  every  thing  made  literal 
to  him  to  a  letter,"  said  Hannah.  "  I'm  sure 
there's  some  moral  hewing  in  doing  all  this 
work,  if  nothing  more ;  and  you  see  Whittier 
tells  us  work  is,  after  all,  nothing  but  — 

'  Manhood's  rugged  play ; ' 

and  that's  just  what  we  are  trying  to  make  out 
of  this  job." 

"  I  stand  corrected,  Hannah.  There's  noth 
ing  to  be  done  but  for  me  to  go  back  to  the 
brook,  and  take '  fancy  lessons '  from  my  former 
teacher ;  for,  as  I  remember,  it  was  always  you 
that  suggested  the  ideas  to  which  I  gave 
assent." 

"  Time's  up,"  said  Frank ;  "  no  more  talking 
till  this  room  is  papered." 

He  was  obeyed  by  his  ready  aids,  and  the 
work  progressed  rapidly,  not  only  that  day,  but 


PLAY-WORK.  141 

on  those  which  followed  ;  for  Dr.  Gordon  had 
admonished  them  that  their  allotted  time,  two 
weeks,  was  nearly  over,  and  that  he  had  prom 
ised  Mrs.  Brown  that  she  should  come  back 
the  following  week,  if  she  wished  to  do  so. 
Accordingly,  papering,  painting,  and  white 
washing  was  done  by  the  young  workmen  as 
well  and  speedily  as  possible  in  the  hours  of 
each  day  which  Dr.  Gordon  was  willing  that 
they  should  give  to  the  work  ;  and,  when  that 
was  accomplished,  Mrs.  Ashton's  bundle  was 
opened,  and  found  to  contain  a  set  of  strong 
sheets  and  pillow-cases,  a  good  bedquilt,  fur 
niture  patch  more  than  sufficient  for  bed 
spread  and  window-curtains,  a  small  table 
cover,  a  good  piece  of  strong,  bright  carpeting 
for  the  bedside,  and  a  nice  calico  wrapper. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Hannah,  "  I  think  I  may  call 
this  splendid" 

"  Not  exactly,  or  its  contents  would  never 
serve  your  purpose,7'  said  her  mother. 

"  Well,  then,  it  was  splendid  in  Mrs.  Ash  ton 
to  send  it." 

"  It  was  very  kind  certainly,  to  say  the 
least." 


142  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

"  And  the  contents  are  all  good  and  useful, 
and  some  of  them,  this  painted  cloth  tor 
instance,  pretty,"  said  Dr.  Gordon. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  come  down  to 
common  words  in  expressing  my  feelings ;  but 
I  assure  you,  they  are  quite  inadequate  to  the 
purpose,"  said  Hannah,  with  an  air  of  mock 
resignation. 

"  It's  a  pity  that  Dr.  Gordon  won't  let  you 
say  splendid,  sweet,  lovely,  elegant,  superb,  and 
gorgeous,  to  a  bundle  of  colored  cloth,"  said 
Howard  Grey,  who  was  present. 

"  But  common  words  are  so  tame  in  express 
ing  one's  feelings,"  said  Hannah. 

"  Better  be  tame  than  incorrect  in  the  use 
of  language,"  said  her  father ;  "  but  what's  to 
be  done  with  this  flowery  stuff?  " 

"  Oh !  make  a  spread  to  cover  the  bed  with 
in  the  daytime,  and  curtains  for  her  windows, 
and  —  oh !  I  do  wish  we  had  a  chair  to  cover 
too.  Mamma,  you  can  help  us,  I  know." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  confidence  in  my 
resources.  I  will  give  you  a  barrel  and  some 
old  cotton  batting  towards  your  chair.  Frank, 


PLAY-\VORK.  143 

Howard,  and  even  Jack,  can  help  in  its  manu 
facture.  It  can  be  done  to-morrow  in  the 
work-room.  I  think  Jack's  wrist  is  strong 
enough  for  him  to  help  in  stuffing." 

"  You're  almost  equal  in  fancy  to  your 
daughter,  ma'am,"  said  Howard,  laughing,  "  if 
you  expect  us  to  make  a  chair  out  of  a 
barrel." 

"  Frank  has  lent  a  helping  hand  before  in 
such  a  job,  and  will  make  it  clear  to  you." 

"  And  to-morrow  must  finish  up  the  whole 
work,"  said  Dr.  Gordon ;  "  at  least,  I  can't 
spare  Hannah  to  you  any  longer." 

It  was  a  busy  and  merry  group  —  merry, 
perhaps  because  busy  —  that  met  in  the  young 
Gordons'  shed-room,  play-room,  or  work-shop, 
as  it  was  called  by  turns.  A  veritable  work 
shop  it  proved  this  morning;  for  Howard  and 
Frank  were  busy  sawing  out  the  front,  shap 
ing  the  back,  and  making  a  steady  seat,  while 
Mrs.  Gordon  sat  by,  helping  Hannah  upon  the 
spread  and  curtains,  ready  to  give  a  sugges 
tion,  when  needed,  about  the  chair  that  was  to 
be.  Jack  waited  impatiently  for  his  part  of 


144  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

the  work,  having  already  selected  the  smooth 
est  pieces  of  batting  for  the  purpose.  Prince 
Walter,  whom  Charlie  was  doing  his  host  to 
amuse,  gave  manifest  tokens  of  his  approba 
tion  of  proceedings  which  he  evidently  thought 
were  got  up  for  his  special  entertainment. 

"  Whew ! "  said  Frank,  suspending  his  labors 
for  a  moment  to  snap  his  fingers  at  the  baby, 
"  what  thinks  your  little  majesty  of  all  this 
hubbub?  It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  we 
could  only  look  inside  of  your  little  '  knowl 
edgeable  '  head  to  see  what's  going  on  there. 
You  look  as  if  you  were  wiser  than  all  the  rest 
of  us,  and  could  impart  some  very  artistic 
ideas  as  to  this  same  chair,  if  you  only  could 
get  them  out  of  that  little  bobbing  machine  on 
your  shoulders." 

"  Prince  Walter's  very  well  in  his  place," 
said  Howard  ;  "  but,  as  he  evidently  can't  or 
wont  help  us,  please  tell  me  what's  to  be  done 
to  the  back  of  this  to-be  chair." 

"  Why,  round  it  off  gracefully  down  to 
the  seat,  —  there,  don't  you  see  ?  —  after  that 
fashion." 


PLAY-WORK.  145 

"  Grace  and  a  barrel !  What  a  juxtaposi 
tion  ! " 

But  when,  at  last,  the  finishing  touch  was 
put  to  the  barrel-chair,  even  Howard  was 
obliged  to  confess  that  it  really  was  quite  a 
good-looking  affair ;  "  comfortable  too,"  said 
he,  sitting  down  in  it ;  and  then,  getting  up  and 
walking  round  it,  and  looking  mischievously 
towards  Hannah,  "  it  really  does  look  sweet" 

"  You've  made  a  mistake  there,  sir,"  said 
Jack  :  "  Hannah  never  does  say  sweet  about 
any  thing." 

"  I  never  said  she  did." 

"  No  ;  but  you  looked  it." 

"  Good-morning,  Mrs.  Gordon  :  I  must  go 
home.  Your  little  prince  there  has  read  me 
through  and  through ;  and  now  if  Jack,  who 
has  a  tongue  and  can  use  it,  has  taken  up  the 
same  office,  it  is  incumbent  upon  me  to  retire 
before  my  thoughts  are  all  exposed." 

"  Come  to  the  court  at  four  this  afternoon, 
Howard :  neither  Jack  nor  baby  will  be  there,'' 
said  Frank. 

Accordingly,  the  working  trio,  with  Charlie 
10 


146  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

as  supernumerary,  went  to  Mrs.  Brown's  house 
in  the  afternoon,  Dr.  Gordon  carrying  the 
chair  and  various  bundles  in  his  wide  buggy. 
He  was  not  allowed  to  come  in,  however ; 
Frank,  at  Hannah's  bidding,  standing  sentinel 
to  prevent  his  entrance. 

"  To-morrow  morning,  as  early  as  is  conve 
nient,  you  and  mamma  and  Jack,  and  all  the 
rest,  may  come,  but  not  now,"  said  Hannah 
from  the  open  window. 

No  report  was  made  to  Jack  that  night,  and 
he  did  not  ask  for  one  ;  for  it  was  understood 
that  their  two  weeks'  work  was  ready  for 
inspection,  and  now  he  could  use  his  own  eyes 
in  place  of  Hannah's  word-pictures. 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OB  MOKE.  147 


CHAPTER    XL 

COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OR  MORE. 

A  BOUT  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning,  Dr. 
•£*-  Gordon  found  himself  at  leisure  to  carry 
Jack  over  to  Mrs.  Brown's  renovated  house. 
The  rest  of  the  family,  with  the  exception  of 
Sam  and  the  baby,  had  already  gone,  that 
they  might  be  there  to  welcome  Jack. 

"  Now,"  said  his  father,  lifting  him  carefully 
out,  "  lean  upon  me,  and  spare  that  lame  foot 
as  much  as  possible.  If  yon  remember  Han 
nah's  word-picture  of  the  place,  you  will  be 
able  to  appreciate  the  changes." 

"  I  can  see  the  rooms  before  me,  just  as  she 
described  them,  dinge,  dirt,  and  all." 

"  Very  well,  walk  in  then,"  and  Dr.  Gordon 
let  Jack  precede  him  into  the  bedroom,  where 
Hannah  stood  at  the  door  waiting  to  receive 
him. 

"  First  of  all,  Jack,  you  must  rest  in  the 


148  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

chair,"  she  said  ;  and  seating  him  in  the  barrel- 
chair,  and  then  standing  aside,  she  watched 
eagerly  the  pleased  expression  of  his  face, 
as  he  looked  rapidly  from  one  object  to 
another.  The  room  had  been  painted  a  light 
drab,  and  the  ground  of  the  wall-paper  was 
the  same  color,  while  over  it  were  vines  of 
reddish-pink  flowers  with  green  leaves.  In 
one  corner  stood  a  neat  medium-sized  bed 
stead,  covered  with  the  spread  to  match  the 
curtains,  which  were  drawn  back  to  admit  the 
light  through  the  clear  window-panes.  Upon 
the  little  table  beside  the  bed  was  the  cloth 
Mrs.  Ash  ton  had  sent ;  and  on  it  lay  a  well- 
worn  Bible,  which  showed  that  at  least  the 
good  book  was  read,  even  if  Mrs.  Brown  had 
failed  to  apply  all  its  teachings  to  her  daily 
life.  Beside  it  was  a  hymn-book,  in  which 
Mrs.  Ashton  had  written  Tommy's  name. 
The  chairs  had  been  mended  and  painted  the 
color  of  the  wood- work,  and  Howard  Grey 
had  embellished  them  around  the  seat  and 
upon  the  back  with  green  and  red  lines,  to 
match  the  paper  on  the  walls.  The  mantel- 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OR   MORE.  149 

shelf  shone  in  its  new  coat  of  black  paint  and 
varnish  ;  a  pretty  engraving  of  a  party  of  hay 
makers  in  the  fields,  the  gift  of  one  of  Dr. 
Gordon's  friends,  hung  over  the  centre  of  it ; 
and  the  bright  lamp,  the  pretty  vase,  and  the 
large  shells  completed  its  adornment.  An 
almost  empty  set  of  book-shelves  rested  upon 
a  pine  bureau,  stained  to  resemble  black  wal 
nut.  Jack  took  in  the  whole,  and  made  a 
resolution  that  at  least  one  shelf  should  be 
filled  before  another  day. 

"  I  like  it,"  said  he.  "  I  am  sure  you  de 
serve  the  credit  of  it  far  more  than  I  do,  all 
of  you." 

"  I  am  not  so  certain  of  that,"  said  his  father ; 
"  there  were  so  many  things,  dear  to  a  boy's 
heart,  ten  dollars  would  have  bought.  No,  no, 
Jack  ;  you  shall  have  a  full  share  of  the  merit." 

"  Let  us  proceed  to  the  commissary  depart 
ment,"  said  Howard :  "  here  is  a  love  of  a 
kitchen." 

Clean  and  bright  the  table  shone,  with  that 
clear  whiteness  that  showed  Mrs.  Mahoney  had 
bestowed  her  best  efforts  to  reclaim  it,  and  the 


150  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

stove  opposite  had  a  glossy  blackness  which 
did  full  credit  to  Frank's  strong  arms ;  tho 
neatly  painted  floor,  the  open  closet-door,  re 
vealing  the  perfection  of  order  and  neatness 
within,  all  corahined  to  give  a  pleasant  picture 
of  order  and  cleanliness. 

"  Do  not  exhaust  yourself  upon  the  kitchen," 
said  Frank  :  "  as  to  me,  the  porch  and  yard 
are  equal  signs  of  our  genius,"  opening  the 
door  as  he  spoke.  The  rough  floor  had  been 
scrubbed  clean,  the  little  window  was  clear, 
various  articles  of  use  hung  upon  nails,  and 
the  tubs  and  pails  were  neatly  arranged.  The 
yard  was  free  from  dust  or  mud  ;  one  unsightly 
corner  of  it,  where  the  rubbish  had  been,  was 
protected  by  a  rough  lattice  which  Frank  had 
made,  and  was  even  now  partly  covered  with 
a  Madeira  vine,  which  he  had  transplanted  so 
carefully  as  not  to  retard  its  growth. 

«*  Well  done,  Frank ! "  said  Dr.  Gordon :  "  like 
father,  after  all.  I  enjoy  the  neat  aspect  of 
these  out-places  more  than  the  flowery  adorn 
ment  of  bed  and  windows,  though  they  are  well 
in  their  places,  I  dare  say.  I  shall  drive  you  out 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OB  MORE.  151 

to-morrow,  Jack,  to  see  when  Mrs.  Brown  is 
ready  to  come  back  and  take  possession  ;  and  I 
propose  that  Mrs.  Gordon  should  give  her  a 
hint  or  two  as  to  the  propriety  of  keeping  the 
shine  you  have  all  worked  so  hard  to  give. 
You've  all  done  well  in  this  work  of  renovation  ; 
and  I  hope  and  I  believe  also  that  you  have 
done  a  good  beyond  our  power  to  estimate. 
Little  Tommy's  whole  future  in  life  may  —  in 
deed,  I  have  faith  to  believe  will  —  be  altered 
and  improved  by  the  new  impulse  your  kind 
ness  will,  I  am  sure,  give  to  Mrs.  Brown.     As 
for  yourselves,  why,  if  happy  faces  show  happy 
hearts,  you  have  done  yourselves  good  too. 
What  is  it,  Jack  ?  " 

"  I  was  going  to  ask  the  boys  to  give  some 
of  their  good  old  books  to  Tommy.  I  can 
spare  some  of  mine,  if  mamma  is  willing,  and 
I  want  Tommy  should  have  one  row  at  least." 

"  I'll  engage  to  furnish  ten,"  said  Howard. 

"  And  I  ten  or  less,"  said  Frank. 

"  And  I  some"  said  Charlie.  "  I  must  look 
them  over  first." 

"  And  I  some  too,"  said  Hannah. 


152  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  One  thing  more,  mamma,"  said  Jack : 
"  can't  we  put  something  in  the  closet  for  Mrs. 
Brown  to  eat?  It  must  be  dismal  to  come 
back  to  empty  shelves." 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  thought  of  that,  and  have  the 
promise  of  some  aid  there  beside  what  I  can 
do  myself." 

"  I've  nothing  more  to  propose  then,"  said 
Jack, "  except  that  we  go  home  and  rest.  The 
work  we've  done  is  good,  and  you're  all  good  ; 
and,  according  to  father  and  the  dictionary, 
there's  nothing  more  to  be  said  about  it." 

The  next  morning,  Dr.  Gordon  drove  Jack 
out  to  Westville,  and  made  arrangements  to 
come  for  Mrs.  Brown  and  Tommy  on  Tuesday 
of  the  next  week. 

When  that  day  came,  bread,  crackers,  cold 
meat,  and  a  small  supply  of  tea,  sugar,  and 
butter,  were  placed  on  the  shelves  of  the 
closet,  the  kitchen  fire  was  lighted,  the  tea 
kettle  was  boiling,  the  table  was  set,  the  wrap 
per  was  laid  across  a  chair  in  the  bedroom, 
the  curtains  were  drawn  aside,  letting  in  the 
pleasant  sun,  and  showing  two  of  Tommy's 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OB   MORE.  153 

shelves  filled  ;  and,  when  Dr.  Gordon  drove  up, 
he  helped  Mrs.  Brown  out,  and  left  her  and 
Tommy  to  go  in  and  enjoy  by  themselves  the 
changes  that  had  been  made. 

Tommy  was  wild. with  joy  as  he  capered 
from  bedroom  to  porch,  and  back  again,  and 
was  sorely  discomfited  and  astonished,  to  see 
his  mother,  after  one  survey  of  her  premises, 
sit  down  in  her  stuffed  chair,  cover  her  face 
with  her  hands,  and  cry  like  a  child. 

"  0  mammy,  mammy  !  what  is  it  ?  don't  you 
like  all  these  pretty  new  things,  and  this  nice, 
nice  place  ? " 

All  she  could  do  for  some  time  was  to  sob 
out,  "  Too  much,  —  I  don't  deserve  it." 

"  Yes,  you  do,  you  dear,  good  mammy,  — 
we'll  keep  it  nice :  wont  we  ?  that's  the  best 
way  to  show  Jack  how  we  thank  him." 

After  she  became  a  little  more  composed, 
Mrs.  Brown  drew  Tommy  towards  her,  and 
said,  "  No,  Tommy,  I  don't  deserve  to  have 
all  this  done  for  me ;  but  I  will,  God  helping 
me,  I  will  keep  this  a  pleasant  and  happy  home 
for  you,  from  this  time  forth  ;  "  and,  clasping 


154  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

her  boy  still  closer  to  her,  she  lifted  her  heart 
in  silent  and  grateful  prayer  to  the  Giver  of 
all  good,  beseeching  for  strength  and  help  in 
the  hour  of  temptation  and  trial. 

That  evening  Mrs.  Gordon  carne  to  see  her, 
and  again  the  distress  of  the  morning  came 
over  the  poor  woman ;  but  it  was  soon  dispelled 
by  Mrs.  Gordon's  kind  and  sympathetic  words. 

"  You  see,  ma'am,  when  Tie  was  alive,  he 
went  on  such  a  rig,  that  it  took  all  the  heart 
out  of  me.  All  his  wages  went  for  drink,  and 
the  children  —  I  had  three  then  —  often  were 
cold  and  hungry,  for  I  was  never  rugged,  and 
couldn't  do  hard  work.  Well,  first  he  died, 
and  then  my  two  little  girls,  pretty  creturs, 
ma'am,  as  you'd  wish  to  see,  got  a  fever  and 
died ;  then  I  had  the  fever  and  'most  died  too, 
and  I  believe  all  the  courage  and  faith  went 
out  of  my  heart ;  and  since  I've  only  had  life 
enough  jest  to  keep  us  from  starving ;  but  I 
see  now  how  cruel  I've  been  to  Tommy,  who 
was  always  good  and  loving ;  and  I  know  I 
shall  be  a  better  woman,  now  that  my  eyes 
have  been  opened ;  for  if  a  stranger,  like  your 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OR   MORE.  155 

boy,  is  willing  to  do  so  much  for  him,  what 
ought  not  his  own  mother  to  do  ?  Poor  fel 
low,  he  knows  what  is  right.  It  was  only  to-day 
that  he  said  the  best  way  to  thank  your  boy 
was  to  keep  nice.  When  we  say  your  boy,  we 
mean  all  of  you;  for  Tommy  has  told  me  how 
you  all  helped." 

"  The  work  my  children  have  done  for  you 
has  been  a  pleasure,  and  will  do  them  as  much 
good  as  it  can  do  you,  if  they  find  it  has  really 
and  truly  helped  you.  If  you  should,  how 
ever,  fall  back  into  your  old  careless  ways,  it 
would  discourage  them  from  like  attempts  in 
the  future ;  so  I  know  that,  with  the  double 
motive  to  do  right,  you  will  keep  to  your  res 
olution.  And  now  let  us  talk  of  your  future 
plans." 

It  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  this  story, 
to  say,  that  Mrs.  Gordon,  Mrs.  Ashton,  and 
other  kind  friends  put  Mrs.  Brown  in  the  way 
of  earning  a  comfortable  support,  by  plain 
sewing  and  fine  ironing,  both  of  which  she 
was  competent  to  do. 

In  talking  over  their  fortnight's  work,  after 


156  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

its  happy  consummation,  the  Gordons  all 
agreed  that  it  had  been  one  of  great  happiness. 

"  Always  excepting,  Hannah,  your  encoun 
ter  with  the  '  girls,'  "  said  Frank,  laughing. 

"  I  don't  care  a  bit  for  that  now ;  to  be  sure, 
I  wasn't  very  clean  and  whole,  but  I  got  my 
dirt  and  rags  in  a  good  cause.  You  know  the 
worst-looking  soldiers  had  the  most  honor 
after  the  war.  One  grateful  look  of  Tommy's 
was  more  than  a  compensation  for  '  the  girls' ' 
contempt." 

"  Yet  I  dare  say,  you  would  be  greatly  an 
noyed  at  similar  treatment  even  now,"  said 
her  mother. 

"  I  know  I  should  at  the  time,  but  I  shouldn't 
keep  thinking  about  it,  and  making  myself 
unhappy,  as  I  used  to  do." 

"  That  is  a  great  gain,  to  be  sure.  Some 
time  you  will  cease  to  care  at  all  for  such 
things." 

"  Frank  has  presented  his  bill,  papa,  and  I 
suppose  I  am  to  pass  it  to  my  banker  ?  "  said 
Jack. 

"  Certainly.    Give  it  to  me.    Ah  !  this  is  it." 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OB  MORE.  157 

JACK  GORDON,  To  FRANK  GORDOJT,  DR. 

To  papering  one  room §2.00 

„  painting  two  rooms 4.00 

„  buff  and  white  washing 75 

„  cleaning  two  rooms 1.50 

„  washing  bedding 1.20 

„  funnel  and  labor 75  —  §10.20 

"  Pretty  good  calculation,  though  I  agreed 
for  only  ten  dollars." 

"  I'm  responsible  for  the  twenty  cents,"  said 
Mrs.  Gordon.  "  That's  owing  to  Mrs.  Ma- 
honey's  bill  being  a  little  larger  than  I  antici 
pated." 

"  Very  well,  keep  to  your  responsibilities ; 
though,  if  your  purse  isn't  equal  to  the  drain, 
I'll  lend  it  to  you." 

"  I  know  something  better  than  that,"  said 
Charlie.  "  I  haven't  done  much,  because  the 
work  that  I  could  do  Tommy  could  do  too,  and 
Frank  said  it  was  best  that  he  should :  so 
please  let- me  give  the  twenty  cents." 

"  Certainly,  if  you  wish,"  said  his  mother. 

"  I  shouldn't  be  surprised,  Jack,  if  you  find, 
at  the  end  of  a  year,  that  your  ten  dollars  has 
given  you  more  than  compound  interest  in 
one  wav."  said  Dr.  Gordon. 


158  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Why,  as  to  that,  if  you  are  going  to  reckon 
interest  in  pleasure,  instead  of  dollars  and 
cents,  I  think  I've  got  more  than  compound 
interest  already." 

"  And  at  that  rate,"  said  his  father,  "  per 
haps  the  whole  amount  at  the  end  of  the 
year  will  be  as  startling  as  the  sum  of  those 
proposals  to  pay  a  person  one  cent  a  day,  and 
go  on  doubling  the  sum  every  day  for  —  well 
to  keep  within  bounds,  I'll  say  a  month." 

"  And  I  think  that  money  value  never  can 
be  used  to  represent  heart  value  or  happi 
ness,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon. 

"  We  talked  about  shine  on  material  objects 
and  on  human  faces  in  the  first  of  this  work. 
Little  Tommy's  face  has  a  shine  upon  it  al 
most  oppressive  when  you  think  how  little 
money  and  labor  and  good-will  it  took  to 
evoke  it ;  and  as  for  some  faces  at  home,  that 
were  once,  to  speak  gently,  unhappy  and  sad, 
we  have  an  amount  of  radiance  that  is  heart 
warming." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Jack,  "  I  know  you  mean  cross 
looks.  Well,  I  know  I  was  aw  —  very  cross 


COMPOUND   INTEREST,   OB  MORE.  159 

sometimes.     But  that  was   because   I   didn't 
think    much    about    anybody  but    one    Jack 
Gordon.     He  may  be  a  good  enough  chap  in 
his  place,  but  his  place  isn't  to  be  for  ever 
spinning  round  in  my  head  as  he  was  at  one 
time.     It  was  just  this  way.     It's  very  hard 
for  poor  Jack  to  be  laid  up  here  when  other 
boys  are  playing,  and  having  such  a  jolly  time 
in  vacation.     He  ought  to  be  having  a  first- 
rate  time  too,  on  his  uncle's  farm,  riding,  boat 
ing,    berrying,    playing,    and    eating.     Then 
there  would  be  the  horses  and  cows  and  oxen, 
and  hens  and  chickens  and  all  sorts  of  fowls, 
to  watch,  and  the  eggs  to  hunt  for,  and  the 
omelets   to   eat,  and   the  milk  to  drink,  and 
the  woods  and  fields  to  ramble  about  in,  and 
so  on ;  and  then  round  and  round  the  same 
thoughts  would  spin  about  my  brain,  till  I  got 
desperate  cross,  I  do  believe ;  and  I  dare  say  I 
was  just  what  Hannah  called  me  one  day,  — 
a  very  discontented  pendulum  indeed.     Then 
came  this  jolly  plan   (I  must  say  jolly)   of 
papa's ;  and,  presto,  what  a  change  !     Out  of 
Jack  Gordon's  head  spun  himself,  and  into  it 


100  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

Tommy  Brown,  and  his  poor  home,  and  his 
sick  mother;  and  the  more  spinning  round 
there  was  in  that  direction,  the  happier  grew 
that  same  Jack.  No,  I  don't  believe  ten  dol 
lars  ever  did  give  such  a  heap  of  pleasure 
before;  and,  as  to  the  good  it  has  done  and 
will  do,  why,  it  takes  papa's  moral  arith 
metic  to  reckon  it ;  and,  according  to  mamma, 
even  that  fails." 

"  Well  done,  Jack !  "  said  his  father,  when  he 
stopped  at  last,  fairly  out  of  breath. 

"  There's  one  thing  I  should  like  to  know," 
said  Charlie  in  his  most  practical  manner; 
"  and  that  is,  if  we  are  never  to  spend  any 
money  for  our  own  pleasure,  because  it  seems 
to  me  we  ought  not,  if  it  is  going  to  do  so 
much  good  to  other  people." 

"  That's  a  question  I  will  answer  another 
time,  my  boy,"  said  Dr.  Gordon. 


THE   SEASHORE.  101 


CHAPTER  XH. 

THE   SEASHORE. 

"  T'M  really  afraid,  mamma,  that  the  vacation 
-•-  will  be  over  before  I'm  half  through 
my  work.  The  two  first  weeks  seemed  to 
fly.  I've  a  great  deal  planned  to  do,  you 
know,"  said  Hannah  Gordon,  as  she  sat  sew 
ing  in  her  mother's  room. 

"  I'm  glad  you  have  a  plan,  my  dear. 
'  Order  is  Heaven's  first  law ; '  and  I  never 
yet  saw  a  girl  or  woman  get  on  very  success 
fully  in  life  who  had  no  method.  But  what 
are  your  numerous  duties  ?  " 

"  First,  you  know  I  have  my  every-day  work, 
which  is  to  dust  the  parlor  and  sitting-room, 
and  arrange  the  flowers,  take  care  of  my  own 
room,  and  help  you  in  any  thing  you  may  re 
quire.  Then  comes  the  hour's  practising,  a 

walk  with  Jack  in  the  garden,  then  our  draw- 
11 


162  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

ing  lesson  ;  and  after  that  I  read  to  him  if  he's 
tired,  or  sit  and  sew,  and  talk  with  him.  In 
the  afternoon,  I  have  my  fair-work  to  do, 
more  practising,  the  little  ones  to  amuse  —  a 
walk  to  take,  and  sundry  other  things  to  fill  in. 
Jack's  getting  on  nicely  with  his  drawing,  and 
we  have  plenty  to  amuse  ourselves  with.  I 
think  Jack's  ever  so  much  improved  since  he 
•was  sick:  don't  you,  mamma ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do ;  but  I  doubt  if  the  improvement 
•would  have  been  quite  as  manifest,  if  there 
had  not  been  improvement  in  other  quarters 
also.  I  don't  think  Jack  and  a  certain  per* 
son  who  shall  be  nameless  will  ever  be  at 
*  swords'  points '  again :  of  course,  I  mean 
nothing  personal." 

Hannah  laughed,  and  went  on  chatting 
gayly  with  her  mother,  till  they  were  inter 
rupted  by  the  entrance  of  Bridget,  who  an 
nounced  the  arrival  of  "  a  new  trunk,  mum  ; 
and  where  shall  it  be  put  ?  " 

Mrs.  Gordon  looked  up  surprised,  and 
Bridget  said,  "  Oh !  indade  it's  just  marked 
plain  with  somebody's  name." 


THE   SEASHORE.  163 

"  Very  well,  have  it  put  in  somebody's  room, 
then." 

"  It's  Frank's,  I  suppose,"  said  Hannah. 
"  I'll  run  up  and  look  at  it.  I  do  so  like  to 
see  spick-and-span  new  things  !  " 

Hannah  ran  up,  but  she  almost  flew  down 
breathless  to  her  mother. 

"  0  mamma !  it's  mine,  my  very  own,  a  nice 
brown  trunk,  all  studded  with  bright  nails, 
and  my  name,  'Hannah  Gordon,'  marked  in 
full  on  the  lid.  It's  just  as  nice  and  conve 
nient  as  can  be.  Dear  me  !  I  shall  want  to  go 
on  a  journey  right  off.  Do  you  know  who 
sent  it?" 

"  Is  there  no  card  within  to  tell  that  impor 
tant  fact?" 

"  I  didn't  see  any  ;  I'll  look  once  more  ;  " 
and  up  and  down  went  Hannah,  in  the  same 
rapid  fashion  as  before,  bringing  with  her  a 
card,  upon  which  was  written,  "  Hannah  Gor 
don,  from  Aunt  Mary." 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  my  trunk,  papa  ? " 
said  Hannah,  as  they  all  sat  together  at  the 
dinner-table. 


164  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"Fill  it,  child,  with  strong,  comfort  aide 
wearing  apparel,  suited  to  the  seashore,  with 
one  or  two  dresses  for  great  occasions.  You 
must  put  your  wardrobe  in  order  yourself,  un 
less  you  have  new  clothes  to  make ;  and  you 
must  pack  your  trunk  yourself  also,  under 
mamma's  supervision  of  course,  and  then  — 
why,  then,  I  think  I  shall  send  mamma, 
Prince  Walter,  Sarah  the  nurse,  Hannah, 
Jack,  and  Sam  off  to  the  seashore  for  a  fort 
night." 

"  And  you,  papa,  and  Frank  and  Charlie, 
and  the  little  ones." 

"  Bless  me,  how  we  do  count  up  when  the 
roll  is  called !  I  am  going  to  answer  Charlie's 
question  the  other  night,  as  to  the  propriety  of 
ever  spending  any  money  for  our  own  pleas 
ure,  by  sending  him  to  rusticate  upon  his 
uncle's  farm,  while  mamma  is  away.  Aunt 
Mary  has  borrowed  the  little  ones  to  take  into 
the  country  with  her;  and  Dr.  Gordon  and 
Frank  Gordon  jun.  will  remain  at  home  to 
enjoy,  under  Bridget's  care,  a  little  quiet  and 
rest." 


THE   SEASHORE.  165 

Exclamations  of  "  How  nice  !  " — "  How 
pleasant !  "  —  "  How  good  !  "  and  "  I'm  so 
glad ! "  came  from  one  and  another.  Mrs. 
Gordon  and  Hannah  alone  were  silent. 

"  How's  this  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Gordon.  "  I 
didn't  expect  Mrs.  Gordon  to  be  pleased  with 
her  banishment ;  but  I  did  expect  you,  Hannah, 
to  be  delighted  at  the  opportunity  of  using 
your  new  trunk." 

"  And  so  I  am,  papa  ;  but  you  need  rest  and 
change  more  than  any  of  us  but  mamma." 

"  Need  perhaps  ;  but  cannot  take  it,  my  dear, 
and  you  can.  I  have  patients  whom  I  cannot 
leave.  Beside,  I  shall  get  rest  when  my  noisy 
tribe  are  away.  When  you  all  come  back, 
you  will  hardly  know  which  is  Frank  sen., 
and  which  is  Frank  jun." 

"  Hannah  is  right,"  said  her  mother ;  "  you 
do  need  rest,  far  more  than  any  of  us,  and 
then  the  expense  "  — 

"  Is  provided  for,"  said  Dr.  Gordon.  "  Years 
ago,  I  was  able  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  a 
young  man,  and  now  the  bread  cast  upon  the 
waters  is  returned  to  me  ;  for  he  is  compara- 


166  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

* 

lively  prosperous,  owns  a  small  farm  at  tho 
seashore,  half  a  mile  this  side  of  Dan<>\v 
Beach,  and  he  will  gladly  take  you  to  board  for 
a  very  reasonable  sum,  which  I  am  quite  able 
to  pay.  He  wanted  very  much  that  you  should 
come  only  as  visitors,  alleging  that  he  owed 
me  more  than  he  could  ever  repay.  Of  course 
I  would  not  listen  to  that  plan,  but  I  was  will 
ing  to  pay  them  only  a  moderate  board.  It's 
the  very  place  for  Jack  to  get  his  strength 
and  color  back  again,  and,  in  fact,  for  you  all ; 
and  though,"  looking,  as  he  spoke,  at  Charlie, 
"  I  do  not  think  it  is  right  to  spend  money  ex 
travagantly  or  foolishly  for  ourselves  when 
there  are  so  many  of  our  fellow-creatures  suffer 
ing  for  the  bare  necessaries  of  life,  I  do  think  it 
is  right  to  afford  recreation  that  is  sure  to  bring 
a  return  of  increased  health  and  strength." 

A  fortnight  later  found  part  of  Dr.  Gor 
don's  family  established  at  Mr.  Hanly's  com 
fortable  farmhouse,  where  they  were  welcomed 
cordially,  and  every  effort  made  to  ensure  their 
comfort  and  happiness.  Mrs.  Gordon  had  her 
anxieties,  which  prevented  her  full  enjoyment 


THE   SEASHORE.  167 

of  the  change ;  but  she  rejoiced  in  the  mani 
fest  benefit  it  was  to  Hannah  and  Jack,  and  in 
the  happiness  which  it  gave  them.  But  for 
them,  she  would  have  preferred  to  be  at  home  ; 
for  she  knew  that  it  was  an  unusually  sickly 
season  in  Wellwood,  and  she  knew,  too,  that 
Dr.  Gordon  had  long  been  overtaxing  his 
strength.  In  answer  to  her  entreaties  that  he 
would  give  himself  a  little  recreation,  he  inva 
riably  said,  "  I  cannot  leave  my  post  just  now, 
even  if  my  life  is  the  forfeit  I  pay  for  remain 
ing  :  give  me,  then,  the  relief  of  knowing  that 
you  are  all  happy  and  safe." 

Although  Jack  could  not  walk  to  Darrow 
Beach,  as  his  ankle  was  still  weak,  Mr.  Hanly 
often  took  him  and  Hannah  there  on  his  way 
to  the  nearest  village,  where  he  did  his  mar 
keting.  Then  there  was  a  little  strip  of  beach 
near  the  house,  upon  which  they  spent  many 
hours,  watching  the  ever-changing  play  of  the 
waters,  gathering  pretty-colored  stones,  shells, 
and  mosses.  As  Jack  grew  stronger,  he  was 
able  to  go  on  berrying  parties  with  Joseph 
Hanly,  a  boy  near  his  own  age,  and  to  help  in 


168  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

raking  the  second  crop  of  hay,  and  other  light 
farm-work ;  and  with  increase  of  health  came 
back  his  abounding  spirits,  and  love  of  adven 
ture.  Some  boys  of  his  acquaintance  from 
Wellwood  were  staying  with  their  parents  at 
the  hotel  at  Darrow  Beach  ;  and  one  morn 
ing,  when  Jack  drove  over  there  with  Mr. 
Hanly,  they  urged  his  joining  a  water  party, 
which  was  to  go  down  some  six  or  eight  miles 
to  Darrow  Point,  to  fish,  have  a  chowder,  <fec. 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  should  like  it  of  all  things," 
said  Jack ;  "  but  I  must  ask  mother,  and,  be 
sides,  you  must  tell  me  all  about  the  number 
of  the  party,  the  size  of  the  boat,  and  who  is 
to  take  charge  of  her,  or  mother  will  not  let 
me  go." 

"  Pooh,  what  a  Miss  Molly !  "  said  one  of  the 
boys,  Alfred  Barton,  Eva  Barton's  brother, 
"  that's  just  like  a  woman,  always  fussing  and 
wanting  to  know  about  every  thing." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Jack,  red  with  anger  at 
the  implied  slight  to  his  mother ;  "  you  can 
give  me  the  information  or  not,  as  you  like :  I 
sha'n't  go  without  it." 


THE   SEASHORE.  169 

The  information  was  given,  and  sounded 
very  satisfactory ;  but,  when  Mrs.  Gordon  con 
sulted  Mr.  Hauly  as  to  the  safety  of  the  expe 
dition,  he  said,  "  Mr.  Cross  takes  parties  out 
constantly  from  the  hotel ;  but  he  has  the 
reputation  of  being  a  very  venturesome  sailor, 
and,  just  at  this  season  of  sudden  showers,  I 
should  prefer  not  to  have  a  friend  of  mine  with 
him." 

"  Would  you  let  your  own  boy  go  ?" 

"  Certainly  not ;  but  then  I  may  be  over 
cautious.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  had  a  narrow  es 
cape  myself  once  from  being  drowned  on  one  of 
these  parties ;  and  I  know  too  much  of  the  real 
danger  of  such  expeditions." 

"  That  settles  it,  Jack,"  said  his  mother 
pleasantly,  but  firmly ;  "  your  father  told  me, 
in  any  case  in  regard  to  you  in  which  I  was 
doubtful,  to  be  guided  by  Mr.  Hanly,  in  whose 
judgment  he  had  great  confidence.  I  am  very 
sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Jack,"  she  continued ; 
"  but  I  cannot  give  my  consent." 

Jack  made  no  reply.  He  was  too  well 
trained  in  habits  of  implicit  obedience  to  do 


170  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

that ;  but  he  looked  very  sulky  and  dissat 
isfied,  and  went  off  by  himself.  An  hour 
later,  Hannah  went  down  to  the  beach,  and 
found  him  sitting  on  a  rock,  tracing  figures 
in  the  sand,  moody  and  cross. 

"  It's  too  bad,"  he  said ;  "  I  wonder  if  I'm 
always  to  be  kept  at  home  like  a  baby.  Of 
course  there  isn't  the  least  danger  in  the 
world.  Mr.  Cross  goes  out  three  or  four  times 
a  week  with  parties." 

"  Mr.  Hanly  advised  mamma  as  he  thought 
best,  and  she  followed  his  advice,  as  papa  told 
her  to  do.  I  don't  see  how  you  can  feel  so 
about  it,  Jack." 

"  Of  course  you  don't :  girls  or  women 
don't  know  how  a  boy  likes  to  go  on  the 
water,  or  "  — 

"  Or  have  his  own  way,"  said  Hannah, 
laughing.  "  Well,  Jack,  make  the  best  of  it, 
and  don't  trouble  mamma ;  you  know  how  she 
dislikes  to  refuse  you." 

"  Here  they  come,  I  know  by  the  blue  pen 
nant  which  belongs  to  the  boat.  Oh,  how 
splendidly  she  goes,  and  what  a  jolly,  jolly 
time  they'll  have !  Oh  dear,  dear !  " 


THE   SEASHORE.  171 

So  it  did  seem  as  the  pretty  little  craft 
sailed  by,  almost  within  hailing  distance,  on 
her  way  to  the  point,  her  white  sail  set,  her 
blue  pennant,  and  a  flag  bearing  the  dear  old 
stars  and  stripes,  dearer  far  than  before  it  had 
been  consecrated  by  waving  over  so  many 
battle-fields  in  the  cause  of  freedom  and  jus 
tice,  streaming  out  on  the  breeze, '  walking  the 
water  like  a  thing  of  life,'  with  the  blue  sky 
overhead,  without  fleck  or  cloud  to  hide  the 
joyous  sun  shining  over  all. 

So  it  did  seem  then  as  if  even  a  boy's 
superlatives  could  not  more  than  express  the 
promised  delights  of  the  trip.  Jack  threw 
himself  on  the  sand,  hiding  his  face  in  his 
hands,  while  Hannah  watched  the  boat  till  it 
was  a  mere  speck  on  the  horizon. 

Eight  hours  later,  and  what  didtfack  Gordon 
see  from  his  mother's  window,  which  faced  the 
beach  ? 

The  same  pretty  little  craft  struggling 
bravely,  as  if  her  frame  was  a  conscious  one, 
with  the  elements  ;  for  a  fierce  and  sudden 
thunder-gust  had  arisen,  the  sky  was  heavy 


172  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

with  black  and  leaden  clouds,  and  the  angry 
waves  reared  their  crests  as  if  bent  upon  over 
whelming  the  boat. 

Mr.  Cross  was  evidently  trying  to  make  for 
the  little  strip  of  beach  before  Mr.  Hanly's 
door,  and  for  a  little  time  it  seemed  as  if  ho 
would  succeed ;  but  —  one  fiercer  gust  of 
wind  came,  which  shook  the  house  in  its  fury, 
and  then  —  the  blue  pennant  and  the  glorious 
stars  and  stripes  touched  the  water,  disap 
peared  —  and  the  boat,  and  its  precious  freight 
of  human  lives,  went  down  before  their  eyes. 

Mr.  Hanly  had  seen  the  danger,  and  was 
ready  with  his  boat  and  man  to  put  off  to  their 
rescue,  though  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives. 
But  alas !  of  the  ten  who  had  sailed  by  in  the 
morning  the  envy  of  Jack,  but  four  were 
rescued  from  the  water,  and  one  of  this  num 
ber,  Alfred  Barton,  was  too  far  gone  to  be 
restored  to  life. 

As  Jack  watched  with  breathless  eagerness 
Mr.  Hanly's  attempts  to  save  their  lives,  as  he 
saw  but  four  were  found,  and  as  he  recognized 
Alfred  Barton  in  the  lifeless  form  beneath  the 


THE   SEASHORE.  173 

w'ndow,  he  once  more  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands,  crying  out  this  time  in  piteous  ac 
cents,  "  Mother,  mother !  " 

Perhaps  no  human  skill  could  have  saved 
them  ;  but  Barret,  the  man  who  had  gone  out 
to  help  Cross  manage  the  boat,  and  who  was 
one  of  those  saved,  said  that  the  squall  came 
up  when  they  were  half  way  between  Darrow 
Point  and  Darrow  Beach,  and  that  Cross,  in 
in  his  usual  venturesome  spirit,  refused  to 
slacken  sail,  saying  that  the  wind  favored 
them,  and  they  could  run  in  by  Hanly's  with 
perfect  safety. 

Barret  had  remonstrated  in  vain,  and  the 
result  was  such  as  has  been  related,  and  six 
lives,  including  that  of  Cross,  paid  the  penalty 
of  his  rashness. 

Dr.  Gordon  came  down  to  Mr.  Hanly's  the 
next  morning  ;  and,  when  Jack  met  him,  his 
father  saw  at  once  that  something  more  than 
the  disaster,  terrible  as  it  was,  troubled  him. 
When  he  learned  that,  but  for  Mr.  Hanly's 
advice,  Jack  would  have  been  one  of  the  party, 
he  could  hardly  find  words  to  express  his 
gratitude. 


174  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

"  But,  father,"  said  Jack,  "  mother  has  not 
told  you  how  badly  I  behaved  about  not  going. 
Hannah  knows." 

"  You  have  had  a  hard  lesson,  then,  my  son, 
upon  the  duty  of  implicit  and  cheerful  obe 
dience,  that  will  perhaps  be  of  lifelong  service 
to  you.  I  shall  add  to  it  only  this  simple  word : 
God  would  never  have  ordained  the  relation 
of  parent  and  child,  had  he  not  intended  that 
the  child  should  be  guided  by  the  parent.  This 
is  a  self-evident  fact,  but  still  one  that  it  seems 
needful  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the 
young.  Poor  Mrs.  Barton  came  down  in  the 
train  with  me,  and  her  grief  was  uncontrol 
lable.  I  am  told  that  she  was  very  unwilling 
that  Alfred  should  join  the  party ;  but  he  over 
ruled  her  objections,  so  that  she  gave  a  reluc 
tant  consent.  My  dear  Jack,  let  your  mother's 
wishes  be  sacred  to  you." 

"  0  father !  1  ihall  never,  never  forget  this. 
Poor,  poor  Alfred!  I  suppose  he  wasn't  the 
best  boy  in  the  world,  because  he  was  wilful, 
and  never  did  pay  much  heed  to  his  mother's 
wishes ;  but  he  was  kind-hearted,  on  the 
whole,  and  so  full  of  fun  ;  and  now  "  — 


THE   SEASHORE.  175 

Here  Jack  broke  down  again,  and  his  father 
drew  him  towards  him  soothingly,  and  said, 
"  And  now,  Jack,  he  is  in  his  Heavenly  Father's 
care.  There  we  may  safely  leave  him." 

That  evening,  Dr.  Gordon  went  down  with 
Hannah  to  her  favorite  seat  on  the  little  strip 
of  beach  she,  with  Jack,  had  come  to  regard 
as  their  special  property. 

After  talking  over  the  sad  event  of  the  pre 
ceding  day,  Dr.  Gordon  said,  "  Jack  takes  this 
very  much  to  heart.  Was  he  very  rebellious 
to  his  mother's  wishes  ?  " 

"He  didn't  say  much,  but  he  was  dreadfully 
disappointed.  I  pitied  him;  and,  to  tell  the 
truth,  papa,  I  thought  mamma  was  over 
anxious." 

"  I  dare  say  you  did :  good  and  sensible  a 
girl  as  you  are  in  the  main,  Hannah,  you  have 
caught  the  spirit  of  the  age,  which  is  a  spirit 
of  great  self-assertion  and  independence  on 
the  part  of  the  young,  —  a  spirit,  too,  and  that 
is  one  of  its  worst  features,  of  criticism  by 
children  upon  their  parents'  acts  and  lives. 
This  habit  destroys  all  true  reverence  and 


176  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

filial  affection.  I  do  not  say  it  destroys  all 
affection,  —  only  filial  affection.  The  sooner 
Jack  or  any  young  person  learns  to  have  faith 
in  parental  love  and  judgment,  the  better  it 
will  be  for  him  or  them.  But  I  am  not  going 
to  give  you  a  lecture  on  the  failings  of  the 
young.  I  rather  wish  to  thank  you  for  the 
sacrifices  you  have  made  for  Jack,  and  to  tell 
you  that  I  believe  you  will,  in  the  future,  be 
amply  repaid  for  them." 

"  Sacrifices,  papa !  what  do  you  mean  ?  I 
am  sure  it  has  become  a  positive  pleasure  to 
me  to  be  with  him,  he  is  so  kind  and  affec 
tionate." 

"  Yes,  I  dare  say ;  and  I  dare  say  it  has 
proved  a  pleasure  to  you,  that  you  gave  up  for 
him  the  journey  to  the  White  Mountains  with 
your  friends,  the  Ashtons." 

"0  papa!  who  could  have  told  you?  I 
didn't  mean  you  should  ever  know  it." 

"  But  I  did  know  it,  almost  as  soon  as  you 
knew  it  yourself." 

Hannah  paused  a  moment,  and  then  said, 
"It  was  very  kind  of  you,  papa,  to  leave 


THE   SEASHORE.  177 

me  free  to  decide  myself.  But  who  told 
you  ?  " 

Dr.  Gordon  told  Hannah  how  he  had  heard 
of  the  plan,  and  then  said,  "  Have  you  ever 
repented  your  choice  ?  " 

"  Never  for  a  moment  repented,  but  at  first 
it  was  a  little  hard  to  forget,  as  I  tried  to  do  ; 
but  the  work  you  gave  us,  papa,  that  was 
a  real  help  to  me,  and  to  Jack  too.  I  don't 
know  as  I  could  have  kept  him  from  fretting 
as  he  got  stronger;  and  then,  you  know,  I 
should  have  felt  as  if  I  had  lost  my  pleasure 
in  vain." 

"  As  it  is,  you  must  see  what  an  influence 
you  have  gained  over  him,  —  dear,  impulsive, 
well-meaning,  but  often  wrong-doing,  Jack! 
What  a  mine  of  true  affection  you  have  opened 
in  his  heart  since  our  talk  before  your  birth 
day,  when  you  labored  under  the  delusion  that 
he  cared  for  nothing  so  much  as  teasing !  Ah, 
Hannah,  it  is  one  of  the  blessed  realities  of 
life,  that,  as  we  go  on  in  our  daily  routine 
of  duty,  we  are  continually  finding  true  riches. 

Confess,  my  dear,  that,  in  your  heart,  there 
12 


178  STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 

has  been,  even  if  there  is  not  now,  a  lurking 
discontent  that  we  are  not  rich  in  worldly 
goods." 

"  Why,  yes,  papa,  I  dare  say  there  has  been. 
I  don't  see  how  people  can  help  wanting  to  bo 
rich,  even  if  they  don't  care  for  riches  for 
themselves.  So  much  good  can  be  done  with 
money,  and  one  can't  help  thinking  of  nice 
things  one  wants." 

"That's  true:  I  am  far  from  undervaluing 
the  power  of  money  for  good.  I  only  wish  to 
convince  you  that  there  are  riches  within  the 
reach  of  us  all  that  are  of  priceless  worth. 
We  all  have  household  mines  that  will  yield 
us  an  immortal  revenue,  if  we  will  but  work 
them  as  earnestly  and  faithfully  as  we  labor 
for  a  compensation  in  dollars  and  cents. 
What  a  rich  return  you  have  had  in  the  little 
space  of  three  months,  for  your  increased 
kindness  to  and  patience  with  your  younger 
brothers  and  sisters !  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  papa ;  I  did  not  think  I  could 
ever  come  to  enjoy,  as  I  now  do,  being  with 
Jack,  or  amusing  the  younger  ones.  I  thought 


THE   SEASHORE.  179 

I  would  try  and  do  as  you  wished,  because  I 
knew  that  it  was  right ;  and  I  have  found  it  a 
happiness  too."  Still,  I  do  get  impatient,  in 
side;  dreadfully  so,  sometimes.  You  mustn't 
think  I'm  so  very  good  all  at  once." 

"  No  danger  while  you  carry  that  honest 
telltale  face  on  your  shoulders." 

"But,  papa"  — 

"Well,  dear?" 

"  Please  don't  tell  Jack  about  my  staying  at 
home  for  him.  I  don't  believe  it  would  do  any 
good,  and  it  might  make  him  feel  badly." 

"  Certainly  I  will  not  at  present,  if  such  is 
your  wish.  I  shall  tell  him  some  time." 

Pr.  Gordon  strolled  back  to  the  house, 
thinking,  as  he  went,  of  life  in  his  own  home, 
and  life  as  he  could  judge  of  it  in  Mrs.  Bar 
ton's  family,  who  were  now  in  such  great 
sorrow,  vainly  groping  about  for  light  and 
comfort. 

"  Yes,"  he  thought,  "  I,  too,  should  like  the 
power  and  influence  money  gives ;  but  then 
how  can  I  be  sure  that  my  heart  would  not  be 
hardened,  or  my  means  spent  for  self-indul- 


180  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

gence?  and  then,  when  the  winds  blew,  and 
the  rain  fell,  I,  too,  should  discover  that  my 
house  was  built  upon  the  sand.  Just  now 
money  would  do  a  great  deal,  not  only  for  in" 
and  for  those  near  and  dear  to  me,  but  for  my 
suffering  sick  and  disabled :  but  the  good  God 
knoweth  best ;  and,  in  that  faith,  let  me  abide 
content,  ay,  more  than  content,  with  my  home 
and  its  treasures." 

Hannah  remained  sitting  where  her  father 
had  left  her ;  and  presently  she  heard  foot 
steps  which  she  knew  to  be  Jack's. 

"  Hannah !  "  he  said. 

She  looked  up  surprised,  for  there  was 
something  unusual  in  the  sound  of  his  voice. 

"  I  say,  Hannah,  why  did  you  stay  at  home 
for  me — you  —  I  —  I  didn't  deserve  this  from 
you.  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  want  to  tell  you,  and  I'm  sorry 
that  you  know  any  thing  about  it,  and  I'm 
glad  I  did  it.  I  didn't  think  I  should  be  so 
glad  as  I  am.  Shall  I  tell  you  why  I  am  so  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  then,  I've  found  you  out ;  and  then 


THE   SEASHORE.  181 

we've  had  such  a  good  (papa's  good,  you 
know)  time,  working  for  Mrs.  Brown,  all  the 
mountains  in  the  world  couldn't  have  given 
me  so  much  pleasure  as  that  did.  They'll 
keep  for  another  chance,  you  know.  Besides, 
we  have  this  beautiful  seashore  visit  too :  I'm 
more  than  satisfied  with  the  change." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  finding  me  out  ?  " 
"  Perhaps  I  can't  make  you  understand 
about  it,  because  boys  don't  care  for  such 
things  as  girls  do,  I  suppose ;  but  I've  found 
out  that  you  do  care  a  good  deal  for  me, 
and  that  is  better  for  me  than  many  jour 
neys." 

Jack  choked  something  down,  and  said, 
"  Boys  don't  like  to  make  a  fuss  and  talk  about 
such  things  ;  but  I  guess,  Hannah,  they  like  to 
be  cared  for,  as  you  call  it,  as  well  as  girls ;  at 
least,  I  know  I  do.  Well,  I  can't  tell  you  just 
how  I  feel  about  your  staying  at  home  for  me, 
and  never  letting  me  know,  any  way,  that  you 
had  done  it,  because  there's  a  queer  feeling  in 
my  throat  when  I  try  to  do  it :  but  I  sha'n't 
forget  it ;  and  when  I  feel  cross,  or  want  to  do 


182  STRIVING  AND   GAINING. 

any  thing  that  other  boys  do  that  isn't  quite 
right,  I'll  just  remember  this." 

"  No  great  merit  in  my  not  telling  you  of 
it,  Jack :  I  didn't  want  the  credit  of  eating  a 
crust  of  bread,"  said  Hannah,  laughing. 
"  It  was  real  mean  in  me  to  say  that." 
"No,  I  guess  not:  I  remember  I  did  think 
I  was  a  little  better  than  the  rest  of  you, 
and  you  were  sharp  enough  to  see  it ;  and  your 
bringing  it  up  at  different  times  when  I  had 
done  something  pretty  good,  or  self-denying, 
was  the  best  thing  in  the  world  for  me.  So 
don't  let's  talk  any  more  about  these  things, 
but  go  to  the  house,  and  prepare  these  mosses 
that  I  promised  Helen  to  get  for  our  work." 


CHANGES. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHANGES. 

"  T~|"ERE  we   are,   all  the   Gordons  home 

J--L  again,"  said  Jack,  the  first  evening 
they  all  met  after  their  summer's  excursions,  — 
"mother,  baby,  baby's  nurse,  Hannah,  Sam, 
and  myself  from  the  seashore ;  Charlie  from 
his  farm ;  Em  and  El  from  the  country. 
Aren't  you  glad  to  see  us,  father,  and  you  too 
Frank  ?  " 

"  More  than  glad,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  hug 
ging  still  closer  Ella,  who  was  perched  upon  his 
knee.  "  Part  of  the  time,  Frank  and  I  thought 
we  had  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  —  quiet." 

"  Poor  papa !  "  said  Ella,  stroking  his  cheek 
with  her  little  soft  hand. 

"  Why  poor  papa  ?  I  feel  like  a  very  rich 
papa  with  all  my  household  treasures  home 
again." 


184  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

"  Oh,oo  said  oo  couldn't  run  or  jump,  'cause 
oo  was  tired.  Auntie  oughter  take  you  away 
too." 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  take  myself  away  soon,  if 
mamma  is  willing:  I'm  too  big  for  auntie  to 
manage.  But  we  will  talk  this  over  another 
time :  now  I  must  hear  of  all  your  adven 
tures  by  field,  forest,  and  flood." 

"  *  Sips  and  waty '  is  all  you'll  get  out  of 
Sammy,"  said  Jack,  laughing.  "  I  believe  he 
has  said  nothing  else  for  a  month,  unless  he 
was  hungry  and  wanted  mil  —  cackey !  " 

"  And  Ella  has  a  wonderful  cow  story  to 
tell,"  said  Charlie ;  "  as  for  Emma,  berries 
seem  to  be  her  hobby ;  and  for  me,  papa,  I've 
made  up  my  mind  to  be  a  farmer :  so  you  must 
send  me  to  an  agricultural  college,  if  you 
please,  when  I  am  old  enough." 

"  Pooh,"  said  Jack,  "  what  a  tame  life !  I 
mean  to  be  a  merchant,  not  a  stay-at-home 
one ;  but  I  want  to  go  abroad  and  get  rich,  and 
come  home  and  take  care  of  all  the  rest  of 
you,  and  have  Hannah  to  keep  house  for 
me." 


CHANGES.  185 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Frank  ;  "  but  I,  for  one, 
hope  to  take  care  of  myself." 

"  I  dare  say  you  may  in  time,  though  doc 
tors  don't  get  rich  in  a  hurry :  do  they, 
father  ?  " 

"That  depends  upon  their  money-making 
capabilities  a  good  deal,  I  believe,"  said  Dr. 
Gordon,  laughing.  "  I  never  was  much  of  a 
proficient  in  that  line." 

"  I  know  one  reason  why,"  said  Charlie, 
very  positively  ;  "  it's  because  you  won't  make 
out  bills  against  poor  folks :  I  heard  Aunt 
Maria  say  so." 

"  Mother  doesn't  tell  us  what  she  did  at  the 
seashore,"  said  Frank. 

"  I  rested  to  my  heart's  content.  Hannah 
and  Jack  took  all  the  care  of  Sammy  from  me  ; 
Walter  was  good  with  Sarah ;  and  I  sat  by  my 
window,  read  or  sewed,  or  looked  out  upon 
the  water,  with  a  sense  of  freedom  from  care, 
that  I  haven't  known  for  a  long  time.  Not 
that  I  hadn't  my  anxieties,"  she  added,  look 
ing  at  her  husband  as  she  spoke. 

"  Frank  took  the  best  of  care  of  me,  and  I 


STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

tried  to  do  the  same  by  him.  We  read  when 
we  wished  to,  played  chess  when  we  felt  like 
it,  tead  out  when  invited,  and  for  the  rest 
did  our  work  with  brave  hearts,"  said  Dr. 
Gordon. 

"  I  can  see  traces  of  Frank's  work,  in  many 
places  in  the  house  and  garden,"  said  Mrs. 
Gordon ;  "  as  for  yours,  I  am  told  that  you 
have  been  very  successful  in  the  dreadful  fever 
cases  that  have  been  so  prevalent." 

"  Yes  :  I  have  been,  and  now  I  begin  to  feel 
the  re-action  :  so  I  must  be  allowed  to  be  lazy  a 
while.  Those  of  you  who  have  had  your  holi 
day  must  go  to  work  in  earnest.  School  begins 
to-morrow." 

"  I'm  glad  enough  for  one,"  said  Jack ;  "  and, 
thanks  to  the  seashore  and  Mr.  Hanly,  I'm  as 
strong  as  anybody  now." 

A  week  later  found  every  thing  restored  to 
its  usual  routine  in  Dr.  Gordon's  family  ;  the 
bright  faces  and  merry  voices  of  the  children 
giving  full  evidence  of  the  good  their  sum 
mer's  recreation  had  done  them. 

But  Dr.  Gordon  did  not  gain  from  the  rest 


CHANGES.  187 

he  was  obliged  to  take  ;  and  it  was  soon  appar 
ent  to  his  wife  and  friends,  that  the  strong, 
untiring  man  was  fairly  broken  down  with 
hard  work,  and  that  nothing  but  an  absolute 
change  in  his  mode  of  life  would  save  him. 
But  what  was  to  be  done  ?  where  should  he 
go  ?  It  was  hard  enough  to  leave  his  family  ; 
but  to  leave  them,  and  go  among  strangers, 
was  harder  still.  A  warm  climate  was  always 
debilitating  to  him,  and  now  his  system  needed 
bracing.  All  at  once  it  occurred  to  him  that 
he  had  an  old  college  friend  living  in  Minne 
apolis,  Minn.,  and  that  he  might  be  induced  to 
give  him  a  resting-place  for  a  few  months. 
This  plan  pleased  Mrs.  Gordon,  who  was  very 
unwilling  to  have  him  leave  her,  without  a 
prospect  of  a  pleasant  home. 

A  favorable  answer  was  returned  to  his  re 
quest,  and  arrangements  were  immediately 
made  for  his  departure.  It  was  now,  in  their 
hour  of  trial,  that  Hannah  saw  how  rich  they 
were  in  friends,  and  how  high  her  father  stood 
in  public  estimation.  Friendly  visits,  proffers 
of  aid,  and  gifts  delicately  bestowed,  came  in 


188  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

abundance.  One  gentleman  in  Wellwood, 
with  whom  Dr.  Gordon  had  very  little  personal 
acquaintance,  who  owned  several  houses  in  the 
sickly  district  where  Dr.  Gordon  had  worked 
so  faithfully,  begged,  as  a  great  favor,  his 
acceptance  of  two  hundred  dollars ;  "  not," 
he  wrote,  "  that  I  regard  this  as  in  the  least 
an  equivalent  for  services,  many  of  them  gra 
tuitously  rendered,  by  which  you  have  made 
the  whole  town  your  debtor,  but  as  a  token  of 
my  grateful  appreciation  of  the  same."  Other 
notes  and  other  gifts,  of  similar  tenor  and 
smaller  value,  came,  until,  at  last,  Dr.  Gordon 
fairly  broke  down  under  the  weight  of  kind 
ness.  Tears  came  into  his  eyes ;  and  he  said 
to  his  wife,  "  It  is  pleasant  to  be  appreciated, 
Margaret ;  but  it  almost  humiliates  me  to  feel 
that  simply  doing  my  duty  —  and  I  have  done 
nothing  more  than  that  —  should  give  rise  to 
such  expressions  of  interest  and  sympathy. 
Can  it  be  that  cases  where  men  strive  to  do 
what  is  right,  still  falling  far  short  of  the 
Saviour's  example,  are  so  very  rare,  that, 
when  man  does  what  he  ought,  he  is  made 
almost  a  saint  of  ?  " 


CHANGES.  189 

"  Men's  ideas  as  to  duty  differ,  and  it  is  not 
every  one  who  has  such  as  yours,  Frank," 
she  replied  ;  "  and  I  should  not  feel  oppressed 
by  your  friends'  expression  of  the  estimation 
in  which  you  are  held.  It  is  very  gratifying 
to  me,  and  I  do  not  feel  that  it  is  undeserved. 
If  you  have  never  striven  for  gold,  it  is  but 
right  you  should  have  love  and  esteem." 

"  The  best  riches  are  mine,  I  have  always 
felt,  little  as  I  merit  them ;  and  now  these 
timely  gifts  come  in  well  to  aid  in  defraying 
my  expenses." 

"  Children,"  said  Dr.  Gordon,  as  they  were 
all  assembled  together  the  evening  before  his 
departure,  "  I  leave  mamma  and  baby  in  your 
care,  while  I  am  gone.  Even  Sammy  can  do 
something  to  help  her ;  and  I  know  that  she 
is  in  good  hands.  As  to  yourselves,  you  know 
my  wishes  and  my  prayers  in  your  behalf; 
and  I  need  not  now  dwell  upon  them.  I  leave 
you  united  in  the  strong  bonds  of  family  love, 
with  an  abiding  sense  of  the  Heavenly  Father's 
protecting  care :  what  more  can  I  ask  or 
desire  ? 


190  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  To-night  we  will  have  prayers  before  the 
little  ones  go  up-stairs." 

If  Dr.  Gordon's  voice  trembled,  as  he  read 
in  his  family  for  the  last  time  for  months, — 
for,  indeed,  who  could  tell  how  long  ?  —  no  one 
could  wonder ;  but  it  rose  strong  and  clear  as 
he  commended  his  family  and  himself  to  God 
in  earnest  prayer.  And  when  they  all  united 
in  singing  the  hymn  beginning, — 

"  Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life 
Is  portioned  out  to  me," — 

some  voices  trembled  with  emotion,  while  his 
was  unwavering.  It  was  one  of  those  rare 
occasions,  when  all  the  strings  of  the  family 
harp  vibrate  in  unison.  Even  the  youngest 
felt  the  solemn  joy  that  comes  from  the  uplift 
ing  of  the  heart  in  earnest  communion  with  its 
Maker ;  and  the  presence  of  God  was  experi 
enced  in  that  little  household  band  as  a  sus 
taining  and  elevating  power. 

"  Good-night  must  be  good-by  to  most  of 
you,  my  darlings,  as  I  leave  early  in  the  morn- 
ing." 


CHANGES.  191 

"  Not  to  me,  papa,"  said  Hannah. 

"  Nor  to  me,  as  I  am  to  see  you  off,"  said 
Jack. 

"  And  please  let  me  go  too  ?  "  said  Charlie 
pleadingly. 

"  Very  well ;  come,  Ella,  you  must  loosen 
those  little  arms,  and  give  papa  one  more 
kiss." 

But  the  child  clung  to  him  with  all  the 
strength  of  her  little  clasping  arms,  sobbing 
bitterly,  and  could  only  be  persuaded  to  release 
him  by  her  mother's  saying,  "  You  hurt  dear 
papa,  darling." 

"  No,  no,  papa  hurt  Ella,  papa  go  away  and 
never  see  Ella  again ; "  but  she  loosed  her  hold, 
kissed  him  again  and  again,  and  then,  sliding 
down  from  his  knee,  put  her  hand  in  Hannah's, 
and  so  left  the  room. 

When  Hannah  came  back,  she  found  her 
father  alone,  lying  back  in  his  chair,  pale  and 
tired. 

"  She  has  sobbed  herself  to  sleep,  little  dar 
ling,"  was  Hannah's  answer  to  his  inquiry 
about  Ella.  "  I  don't  wonder.  How  shall  we 
do  without  you  ?  " 


192  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  Bravely,  I  don't  doubt.  I  trust  much  to 
you,  Hannah,  and  I  can  do  it  far  better  than  I 
could  a  few  months  ago.  You  will  find  all  the 
sunshine  you  can,  I  know,  for  mamma  and 
the  rest ;  and,  if  clouds  do  come,  remember 
their  mission  is  always  a  needful  one.  For 
the  rest,  keep  up  good  courage,  and  take  care 
of  yourself." 

At  first  it  seemed  to  the  family  as  if  matters 
never  could  settle  into  the  new  routine  after 
Dr.  Gordon  left.  None  of  the  children  could 
remember  his  having  ever  been  absent  from 
home  more  than  a  week  at  a  time,  and  that  at 
very  long  and  rare  intervals.  Without  his 
quick,  springing  step,  his  pleasant,  cheery 
voice,  his  strong,  bright  presence,  the  house 
seemed  desolate  indeed. 

Mrs.  Gordon  was  very  calm  and  quiet ;  Han 
nah  spasmodically  cheerful,  occasionally  in 
dulging  in  a  good  cry  when  alone  at  night ; 
Jack  unusually  still ;  Charlie  more  intensely 
practical  than  ever ;  while  the  little  ones 
wandered  from  room  to  room,  and  out  into  the 
stable  and  garden,  as  if  seeking  for  something 


CHANGES.  193 

they  couldn't  find.  Sam  would  now  and  then 
call  out  "  Papa ; "  and  even  the  little  prince 
would  look  around,  as  if  in  want  of  some  one 
to  fill  up  the  measure  of  content  to  his  baby- 
life  that  was  now  so  joyous. 

A  friend  had  taken  Derby  while  the  doctor 
was  gone  ;  the  large  gates  were  fastened  up  ; 
and  everywhere,  within  and  without,  the  void 
was  felt.  For  a  time  the  doctor's  bell  would 
occasionally  ring  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  the  summoner  being  some  one  who  had 
not  heard  of  his  departure. 

But  at  last,  as  people  learn  to  do  when  they 
must,  the  family  settled  into  the  new  order  of 
things,  with  at  least^an  outward  seeming  of 
cheerfulness,  —  an  outward  seeming  which  be 
came  a  feeling  within  also,  upon  hearing,  as 
they  did,  encouraging  news  from  husband 
and  father. 

"  If,"  he  wrote,  "  any  of  my  dear  ones  are 
disposed  to  look  upon  this  parting  as  hard  to 
be  borne,  I  must  tell  them  what  I  did  not  dare 
to  do  before,  —  that  my  health  was  in  a  state 

13 


194  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

so  critical  that  my  very  life  seemed  dependent 
upon  an  entire  change.  Now  I  gain  percep 
tibly,  and  I  hope  soon  to  feel  new  life  in  my 
veins." 


"THE   GIRLS."  195 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
"THE  GIRLS." 

"TN  order  to  follow  more  connectedly  Han- 
-•-  nah's  life  at  this  period,  we  must  go  back 
a  little  to  the  time  preceding  and  following 
her  father's  departure  from  home.  She  had 
returned  from  the  seashore  in  fine  health  and 
buoyant  spirits.  She  had  enjoyed  a  great 
deal,  and  she  enjoyed  it  all  over  again  with 
her  friend  Helen,  with  whom  she  spent  many 
a  pleasant  hour,  talking  of  their  mutual  ex 
periences  by  seashore  and  mountain. 

Lydia  Harris  sometimes  joined  them  ;  and  in 
her  descriptions  of  beautiful  scenery,  and  the 
delight  it  had  given  her,  Hannah  realized  the 
great  pleasure  she  had  been  the  means  of 
giving  one  whom  she  both  loved  and  es 
teemed. 

"You  know,"  said  Lydia,  one  day,  when 


196  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

they  were  together,  "  Mr.  Percy  wanted  us  to 
write  a  composition  last  winter  upon  the  line,  — 

'  A  tiling  of  beauty  is  a  joy  for  ever,'  — 

and  we  did.  I  wish  I  could  write  one  now ;  for 
I  believe  never,  while  I  live,  shall  I  forget  the 
solemn  beauty  and  grandeur  of  mountain  sce 
nery.  It  seemed  to  me,  if  I  lived  there  always, 
I  should  never  be  tormented  and  harassed  as  I 
sometimes  am  here  in  Wellwood,  by  petty  af 
fronts  and  idle  words.  I  could  not  help  think 
ing,  while  we  were  so  many  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  and  of  our  ordinary  lives,  we 
were  miles  upward  towards  God  and  Christ." 

"Yet  the  *  world'  and  'the  girls'  were 
there,"  said  Helen.  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blake, 
Anna  and  Lester  Blake,  and  others  of  that 
*  ilk,'  came  with  as  much  finery  as  could  well 
be  put  upon  them:  I  don't  include  Mr. 
Blake,  though;  for  mamma  says  his  whole 
presence  is  a  protest  against  the  frivolity  of  his 
wife  and  daughter  and  son.  But  she  is  the 
stronger  in  will,  and  hence  rules." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lydia,  laughing ;  "  and  tl*ere 


"THE   GIRLS."  197 

was  another  set  of  people  so  intent  upon  their 
jewels  and  dresses  that  it  almost  seemed  as 
if  they  had  decked  themselves  out  to  rival  the 
mountains  in  their  attractions.  But  they 
made  a  poor  show,  with  all  their  sheen  and 
glitter  and  rustle,  beside  the  woods  with  their 
varied  hues  of  green,  the  lovely  wild  flowers 
under  our  feet,  the  rose  and  gold  and  purple 
of  the  clouds,  and  the  brooks  and  ponds 
which  gleamed  up  from  the  valleys  below  like 
diamonds." 

"  Brava !  "  said  Hannah  ;  "  you  shall  have  the 
class  poem,  if  we  have  one,  Lydia ;  but  did  these 
people  see  none  of  the  beauties  you  describe?  " 

"I  do  not  know,  —  yes:  I  did  hear  one  of 
them  say  to  another  one  evening,  when  our 
party  were  standing  dumb  with  the  glory  of  a 
gorgeous  sunset,  '  My !  Sabriny,  isn't  them 
clouds  pretty  ? '  To  which  *  Sabriny '  an 
swered,  *  Ye-es,  I  suppose  so :  I  was  jest 
thinkin'  how  nice  that  purple  there  would 
match  my  plaid  indy  silk.'  " 

Helen  and  Hannah  laughed  heartily  at  this 
instance  of  the  different  way  in  which  people 


198  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

look  at  things ;  and  Hannah  exclaimed,  "  I 
didn't  know  you  could  be  so  severe,  Lydia." 

Lydia  blushed,  and  answered,  "  I  didn't 
mean  to  be  severe.  I  only  repeated  what  I 
heard.  Mother  often  tells  me  I  must  be  care 
ful  and  not  put  so  much  expression  into  my 
looks  and  tones,  when  I  am  speaking  of  any 
thing  that  touches  me  in  any  way." 

"For  my  part,"  said  Hannah,  "I  wish  one 
could  live  in  a  mountain  or  seaside  atmos 
phere  all  the  time.  I'm  degenerating,  girls, 
sadly  since  I  got  home.  When  I  had  nothing 
to  do  but  amuse  Sammy,  Jack,  and  myself, 
and  enjoy  the  exhilarating  air  of  the  sea,  I 
found  it  very  easy  to  do  right,  and  be  obliging ; 
but,  dear  me!  since  we  came  home,  and  work 
and  regular  duties  are  the  order  of  the  day, 
I'm  not  half  as  good.  And  the  worst  of  it  is, 
mamma  and  papa  both  seem  to  think  I've  gained 
a  victory  over  those  old  faults  of  mine ;  and 
that  makes  me  feel  like  a  poor  miserable 
hypocrite." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  need  to  feel  so,"  said 
Lydia ;  "  you  have  gained  a  victory  over  your- 


"THE  GIRLS."  199 

self,  or  you  would  not  be  so  sensitive  about 
any  omission  to  do  right." 

"  Need  or  not  need,  I  do  feel  just  so  ;  and  I 
wish  I  had  Frank  at  my  elbow  to  call  me  a 
silly  little  goose,  when  I  am  so  silly  as  to  care 
for  these  tormenting  girls." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Helen,  "  it's  '  the  girls,'  again : 
is  it?" 

"  Yes.  Flora  and  Anna  came  to  see  me 
yesterday,  to  ask  me  to  join  a  very  select 
class  in  dancing,  '  Madame  Radoux  is  getting 
up.  Such  a  good  opportunity,'  Flora  said,  *  to 
get  the  finishing  touches  in  grace  of  deport 
ment,  which  no  one  but  a  true  professor  of 
her  art,  like  madame,  could  give.  Do  tease 
your  mamma  to  let  you  go,'  she  ended  with. 
I  said  I  should  like  to  join  the  class  very 
much,  and  would  ask  mamma.  Mamma  looked 
very  grave,  and  told  me,  that,  aside  from  the 
expense,  which  we  could  ill  afford  to  meet  for 
any  mere  accomplishment,  she  should  object 
strongly  to  putting  a  child  of  hers  under 
Madame  Radoux's  guidance,  even  in  '  finishing 
touches.'  She  knew  of  a  class  of  little  girls 


200  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

in  the  city  whom  madame  had  taught,  and 
that  really,  unless  one  wished  their  children 
trained  to  be  professional  ballet-dancers,  her 
style  would  be  hardly  desirable." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Helen,  "  I  heard  of 
Mrs.  Hall's  little  girls,  one  of  them  no  older 
than  your  Emma,  who  were  taught  to  balance 
themselves  on  one  foot  extending  the  other  on 
a  level  with  their  waist,  and  to  perform  sim 
ilar  feats  of  suppleness  and  skill.  There  was 
a  public  exhibition,  or  public  to  '  five  hundred 
friends,'  to  which  my  Aunt  Lucy  went.  She 
said  she  was  perfectly  shocked  to  see  those 
little  children  making  such  a  display  of  them 
selves,  and  that  she  was  sure  it  must  detract 
from  all  true  delicacy  of  feeling." 

"  Mamma  told  me  pretty  much  the  same ; 
and  though  she  didn't  think  Madame  Radoux 
half  as  much  to  blame  as  the  mothers  who 
sat  and  looked  on  every  day,  and  who  spent  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  money  in  dressing 
their  children  in  airy  and  fantastic  costumes, 
still  of  course  she  objected  to  my  joining  the 
class.*' 


"THE  GIRLS."  201 

"  Speaking  of  the  expense,"  said  Helen, 
"  Aunt  Lucy  told  mamma  that  Uncle  Edward 
said  that  their  costume  was  '  so  beautifully 
less,'  it  must  at  least  have  the  merit  of  be 
ing  inexpensive.  But  do  finish  your  story, 
Hannah." 

"  Well,  I  must  own,  that,  though  I  knew 
mamma  was  right,  I  couldn't  bear  to  go  back 
and  tell  the  girls  I  couldn't  go ;  but  do  it  I 
must,  and  so  I  told  them  mamma  didn't  think 
it  best,  and  that  I  was  very  sorry. 

"  4  Well  you  may  be  sorry,'  Flora  exclaimed. 
4  One  don't  get  such  a  chance  once  in  a  hun 
dred  years  to  acquire  ease  and  grace  of  mo 
tion.  I  never  saw  any  one  so  supple  as  little 
Elise  Grafton.  If  she  had  been  a  big  girl,  now, 
one  would  have  hardly  liked  to  see  the  feats 
she  performed  ;  but  for  a  little  thing,  you  know, 
it  didn't  matter.' 

"  '  La ! '  said  Anna,  '  I  dare  say  that's  the 
reason,  after  all,  Mrs.  Gordon  won't  let  Han 
nah  join.  She  would  say,  as  the  good  old  line 
has  it, — 

"  As  the  twig  is  bent,  so  the  tree's  inclined," — 


202  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

and  that  big  girls  would  do  what  they  did  as 
little  girls :  wouldn't  she,  Hannah  ?  Poor 
thing!'  she  went  on,  without  giving  me  a 
chance  to  speak, '  you'll  have  to  get  up  an  or 
der  of  recluses,  with  strict  vows  of  abstinence 
from  all  follies  of  dress  and  amusement.  By 
the  way,  are  you  to  join  the  band  of  waiters 
at  the  fair  ?  ' 

"  Yes,  I  answered,  I  was  to  help  Aunt 
Maria  at  her  table. 

" '  Mrs.  Howard  ?  why,  that  is  where  we  are 
to  be :  what  shall  you  wear  ? '  asked  Anna. 

"  I  told  her  that  no  strict  uniform  was  re 
quired,  except  a  white  or  light  dress  and 
white  apron,  a  shoulder-knot  of  red,  white,  and 
blue,  and  a  wreath  of  autumn  leaves,  and  that 
I  should  wear  my  white  brilliant. 

"  *  And  I,'  replied  Anna,  *  shall  have  a  new 
dress.  Papa'll  get  me  one  fast  enough,  if  I 
tell  him  I  want  it  for  the  soldiers'  fair.  I'll 
have  it  trimmed  with  Cluny  lace,  I  tell  you, 
and  enough  of  it  too,  and  I'll  wear  cherry  rib 
bons.* 

"  *  And  I,'  said  Flora,  *  shall  wear  my  white 


"THE   GIRLS."  203 

spotted  muslin,  with  the  blue  heading  to  the 
flounce,  and  a  blue  sash.' ' 

"  Was  that  all  ?  "  said  Helen,  as  Hannah 
paused :  "  nothing  so  very  terrible  in  that." 

"  No,  not  quite  all,  but  all  I  care  to  tell. 
The  rest  is  too  foolish  to  repeat,  and  too  fool 
ish  for  me  to  care  about ;  but  still  I  do." 

"  The  rest,"  and  the  "  unkindest  cut  of  all," 
was  this.  As  the  girls  were  leaving,  Anna 
turned,  and  said, "  I'm  sorry  conscientious  scru 
ples  prevent  your  joining  our  class.  I'm  sur 
prised  that  mamma  should  let  you  help  at  the 
fair,  so  exposed,  you  know,  and  there's  sure  to 
be  lots  of  young  fellows  there ;  but,  as  long  as 
Howard  Grey  is  away,  I  suppose  you  don't 
care.  Sly  puss,  to  be  so  dreadful  proper,  and 
have  a  beau  after  all,  so  young  as  you  are ! " 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  said  Han 
nah,  flushing  scarlet.  "  Howard  and  I  have 
known  each  other  since  we  were  little  children  ; 
have  always  played,  and  enjoyed  ourselves,  to 
gether.  He  is  Frank's  friend,  and  my  friend ; 
and,  as  for  that  word  '  beau,'  I  hate  it.  As  if 
girls  like  us  must  have  beaux  !  " 


204  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

"  I  have  waked  you  up  at  last,"  said  Anna  ; 
"  guilty  conscience,  you  know.  I'm  sure  it's 
a  feather  in  your  cap ;  so  you  needn't  be  so 
vexed,  if  we  do  all  know  it." 

"  There's  nothing  to  know,"  retorted  Han 
nah.  "  My  father  says,  of  all  the  follies  of  the 
present  day,  that  of  calling  every  boy,  who 
chances  to  be  civil  and  friendly  to  a  girl,  her 
beau,  he  thinks  the  most  intolerable,  destroy 
ing  all  the  natural  freedom  and  pleasure 
they  would  otherwise  take  in  each  other's 
society." 

"  Oh !  we  all  know  Dr.  Gordon  has  very 
sensible  views  upon  most  matters  ;  but  all  the 
world  is  against  him  in  this  respect.  We've 
as  good  a  right  to  our  beaux  as  our  elder  sis 
ters  :  have  we  not?  "  said  Flora  to  Anna. 

"  Certainly :  Eva  has  a  dozen  or  more,  and 
is  proud  of  it  too ;  and  I'm  sure  I  shouldn't 
be  ashamed  of  Howard  Grey,  though  he  is  a 
little  old-fashioned  in  his  dress.  Good-by, 
dear :  indignation  is  very  becoming." 

"It  i»  too  bad,"  tlipught  Hannah,  tears  com 
ing  into  her  eyes  in  spite  of  herself.  "  They'll 


"  THE  GIRLS."  205 

talk  just   so   to   Howard,  and   all   our  good 
times'll  be  over. 

"  I'm  sure  it  will  take  away  half  my  pleas 
ure  serving  at  the  table,  to  be  with  these  girls. 
I  do  wish  Aunt  Maria  didn't  care  quite  so 
much  about  having  stylish-looking  girls  to 
help  her." 


206  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR. 

AUNT  MARIA,  herself  what  was  called  a 
very  elegant  woman,  did  care  about 
having  stylish-looking  girls  as  aids ;  but  she 
knew  that  there  were  other  attractions  for 
many  of  the  expected  visitors  to  the  fair,  and 
that  the  freshness  and  simple  naturalness  of 
her  niece  would  win  regard  where  style  and 
fashion  would  have  no  effect. 

"  You  look  very  nicely,  my  dear,"  she  said 
to  Hannah,  as  she  presented  herself  at  an 
early  hour,  on  the  morning  of  the  fair,  "  as 
fresh  as  a  June  rose  after  a  shower.  Your 
hair  looks  well,  too,  despite  of  the  lack  of  the 
bag  behind.  After  all,  it  is  absurd  for  every 
woman  and  girl  to  dress  after  one  fashion, 
whatever  their  own  appearance  and  style  of 
looks  may  be. 


THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR.  207 

"  You  must  make  the  change  for  me,  my 
dear.  I  know  you  are  quick  at  figures  ;  and  I 
don't  believe  either  of  those  giddy  girls  know 
how  to  take  thirty-seven  cents  from  a  dollar." 

"  There  you  do  them  injustice,  Aunt  Maria. 
Flora  is  quicker  at  figures  than  I  am." 

"  Well,  if  she  is,  her  mind  is  more  likely  to 
he  intent  upon  beaux  than  dollars  and  cents. 
When  you  are  tired,  let  me  know,  and  I'll  test 
Miss  Flora." 

But  patiently  Hannah  stood,  and  made 
change  for  the  other  table-tenders,  without  a 
word  of  complaint,  through  most  of  the  morn 
ing.  At  last  her  aunt  turned  suddenly  towards 
her,  and,  noticing  that  her  cheeks  were  burn 
ing  with  a  color  that  rivalled  the  most  bril 
liant  hue  in  her  wreath,  she  said,  "  I  forgot  all 
about  you,  you  poor,  patient  child ;  and  I  know 
you  have  a  dreadful  headache  by  your  looks. 
Anna  and  Flora  have  been  off  three  or  four 
times  to  get  ice-creams  or  something  else,  and 
you  have  never  left  the  table  once." 

"  I  should  like  to  rest  awhile,  Aunt  Maria. 
I'll  be  back  in  an  hour,  or  sooner,  if  my  head 


208  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

cools  off.  A  little  cold  water  and  a  seat  will 
do  me  a  great  deal  of  good." 

"  Miss  Flora,"  said  Mrs.  Howard,  "  will 
you  take  that  poor  child's  place  ?  You  must 
attend  to  your  duties,  if  you  do." 

"  Never  fear  for  me.  Two  dollars  eighty- 
seven  cents  did  you  say,  ma'am,  is  to  be 
taken  from  five  dollars  ?  Eighty-seven  and 
three  are  ten,  —  I  mean  ninety,  and  ten  are 
one  hundred,  and  that  makes  four  dollars. 
Here  it  is,  ma'am,  —  one  dollar  and  thirteen 
cents.  Do  be  still,  Charlie!"  in  an  aside  to  a 
lad  of  some  fifteen  years,  who  was  mischie 
vously  following  her  reckoning,  while  a  young 
exquisite  of  twenty  stood  by,  twirling  his  lav 
ender  kids,  and  waiting  for  his  change. 

"  One  dollar  and  thirteen  cents  change  after 
taking  two  eighty-seven  from  five  dollars!" 
said  Mrs.  Howard,  impatiently.  "  Mr.  Ray 
will  hardly  believe  that  you  are,  as  Hannah 
says,  one  of  Mr.  Percy's  best  scholars  in 
mathematics." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  am  sure,"  said  Flora, 
who  had  the  grace  to  blush.  "  I  was  thinking 
of  something  else." 


THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIB.  209 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  of  the  slightest  conse 
quence  !  "  simpered  the  young  man :  "  no  one 
could  expect  you  to  confine  your  mind  to  the 
drudgery  of  computing  change." 

Half  an  hour's  more  trial,  with  two  or  three 
similar  mistakes  on  Flora's  part,  quite  ex 
hausted  Mrs.  Howard's  patience,  —  a  com 
modity  of  which  she  never  had  a  large  stock ; 
and,  saying  to  Flora,  "  You  seem  quite  too 
fatigued  to  attend  to  your  work :  you  can  go 
and  rest  a  while,"  she  beckoned  to  Lydia  Har 
ris,  who  was  just  then  at  leisure,  and  said, 
"  Lend  me  your  head,  Lydia,  till  Hannah 
comes  back.  I'm  just  at  the  busiest  part  of 
the  day ;  and  these  girls  are  fit  for  no  figures 
but  show-figures.  Bless  me !  what  is  the 
matter  now  ?  " 

This  exclamation  was  caused  by  a  crash, 
and  shouts  of  laughter  from  a  group  of  chil 
dren,  near  the  toy-table.  Flora  was  making 
her  way  out,  and,  in  so  doing,  her  sash,  or  the 
lace  upon  it,  had  caught  in  a  jumping-jack ; 
and,  in  pulling  that  after  her,  a  china  mug, 

marked  "  Good  girl,"  in  gilt  letters,  a  match- 
U 


210  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

safe,  and  two  or  three  grotesque  figures  in 
china,  were  thrown  to  the  ground.  Flora  was 
walking  off,  unconscious  that  the  jumping- 
jack  was  still  hanging  to  her  sash,  while  the 
children  laughed  louder  than  ever ;  and  one 
adventurous  urchin  ran  after  her  with  "  Hallo, 
iniss  !  did  you  know  you'd  got  another  bob  to 
your  kite  ?  " 

Hannah,  meantime,  had  gone  to  sit  down 
quietly  for  a  while  behind  her  Aunt  Mary's 
table.  This  table  was  devoted  exclusively  to 
garments  that  had  been  contributed  for  the 
use  of  soldiers'  families.  Socks,  mittens, 
shirts,  sacks,  aprons,  and  various  other  use 
ful  articles,  were  offered  for  sale,  at  the  whole 
sale  cost  of  the  materials,  with  the  view  of 
aiding  poor  women  who  had  no  time  to  make 
up  clothing  for  family  wear.  Hannah  sat 
leaning  back,  and  listening  with  interest  to 
the  comments  of  the  purchasers.  Some  were 
astonished  and  gratified  to  find  that  the  arti 
cles  were  priced  so  low,  and  others  grumbled 
that  they  were  not  given  outright.  Amongst 
the  latter  was  Mrs.  Ann  Mahoney,  who, 


THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR.  211 

though  not  herself  entitled  to  buy  any  thing, 
came  up  with  a  "  cousin,"  a  soldier's  widow, 
to  see  that  she  wasn't  imposed  upon. 

"  An'  this  is  what  ye  call  helping  the  poor 
craythers,  who  fought  yer  battles  for  ye,  is  it  ? 
Why,  I  could  buy  the  makins  of  that  sack 
meself,  at  any  store  in  the  place,  for  what  ye 
are  axin  for  it." 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Eliott,  pleasantly,  —  "the 
makins,  but  not  the  making  too.  You  forget 
that." 

"  Sure,  an'  that's  nothing  at  all :  I  could  jist 
rin  that  same  together  ony  time,  after  a  day's 
work." 

"  Then  you'll  not  buy  to-day  ?  " 

"  Not  we,  mum,"  with  a  sniff,  and  an  eleva 
tion  of  her  broad  shoulders  expressive  of  con 
tempt. 

But  the  cousin,  "  poor  green  thing,"  who 
was  not  yet  an  adept  "in  getting  along  in 
Ameriky,  without  bein'  imposed  on,"  ventured 
to  say,  softly,  "  Whist  now,  Ann  dear,  an' 
let  me  look  at  the  purty  sacks  for  the  childers, 
they're  so  nice  to  kiver  up  an  old  gound ;  an' 


212  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

sure  I've  no  time  for  sewiii'  after  me  day's 
work's  done." 

"  Come  along  wid  yees,  yer  greenhorn !  they 
ought  to  give  yer  the  things  outright,  don't  yer 
see?" 

And  so,  longingly  looking  back,  the  meek 
little  woman  was  dragged  away  by  her  more 
enlightened  (?)  cousin. 

Hannah  laughed  outright  at  this,  and  said, 
"  I  must  put  this  little  scene  in  the  account  of 
the  fair  Mr.  Percy  wished  me  to  give.  Oh ! 
what's  all  that  running  behind  Aunt  Maria's 
table  for?" 

Before  answering  her  question,  it  is  neces 
sary  to  give  a  little  description  of  the  spot 
where  the  fair  was  held.  Some  years  pre 
vious,  certain  public-spirited  citizens  in  Well- 
wood,  prominent  amongst  whom  was  Mr 
Ashton,  had  bought  two  acres  of  land,  a  little 
out  of  the  business  part  of  the  place,  opening 
upon  a  pleasant  street,  and  sloping  back  to 
the  river,  and  given  it  to  the  town,  upon  the 
conditions  of  a  large  and  commodious  bull 
being  erected  theron,  for  the  various  uses  of 


I 


THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR.  213 

fairs,  lectures,  concerts,  <fec. ;  that  the  land 
should  be  improved  and  made  attractive,  and 
no  portion  of  it  sold  without  the  consent  of  the 
donors.  Wellwood  had  increased,  since  that 
time,  from  a  city  suburb  to  a  large  town ;  and 
tempting  offers  had  been  made  for  the  land  for 
various  building  purposes.  But  the  donors 
remained  firm  in  the  belief  that  the  present 
interest  they  received  from  their  money,  in  the 
shape  of  comfort  and  enjoyment  to  so  many 
hundreds  of  people,  was  far  more  than  the  dolj 
lars  and  cents  they  would  gain ;  and  so  this 
model  hall  and  grove,  called  Beech  Wood  Hall, 
remained  for  the  use  and  enjoyment  of  the 
people  of  Wellwood. 

In  the  present  fair,  the  fancy  tables  had 
most  of  them  been  arranged  out  of  doors,  while 
refreshments  were  provided  in  the  hall.  Mrs. 
Howard's  table  was  not  far  from  the  river- 
bank  ;  and,  after  Lydia  took  Flora's  place,  she 
and  Anna  sauntered  to  the  water's  edge,  not 
at  all  unmindful  that  Mr.  Ray  and  another 
young  man  were  near  by 

The  young  men  followed,  and  they  were 


214  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

soon  engaged  in  a  chat  more  wordy  than  edi 
fying.  Anna,  who  was  resplendent  in  her  new 
dress,  with  its  puffings  and  rufllings,  its  volu 
minous  folds,  and  cherry  garniture,  in  the 
midst  of  a  complimentary  speech  from  Mr. 
Ray  stepped  upon  a  loose  stone,  which  turned 
under  her  feet,  and,  before  she  had  recovered 
her  balance,  slipped,  and  fell  into  the  water. 
Flora  screamed ;  Mr.  Ray  held  out  his  cane  in 
a  most  piteous  manner ;  and  Mr.  Lamson,  with 
out  regard  to  fine  clothes,  went  after  her,  and, 
the  water  not  being  very  deep,  soon  had  her 
safe  on  dry  land.  But,  alas !  her  glory  for  that 
day  had  departed.  Drabbled  and  muddy,  her 
thin  skirts  clinging  around  her  hoops,  the 
water  running  in  streams  from  every  puff  and 
dangler,  her  waterfall  drenching  her  neck,  her 
whole  appearance  at  once  ridiculous  and  for 
lorn,  she  gladly  stole  off  to  the  hall,  by  a 
back  entrance,  followed  by  Flora,  Mrs.  How 
ard,  and  Hannah.  Mrs.  Howard  set  her  mind 
at  rest,  by  giving  Anna  a  good  scolding,  dis 
robing  her  meanwhile,  and  putting  upon  her 
some  of  the  articles  from  Miss  Eliott's  table, 


Before  she  had  recovered  her  balance,  slipped,  and  fell  into  the  water.  -  Pa«,  i 


ater.  —  Page  214. 


THE  SOLDIERS'  PAIR.  215 

upon  which,  that  very  morning,  Anna  had 
made  some  scornful  remarks. 

"  What  could  have  induced  you  to  come 
here  in  a  trim  fit  only  for  a  ball-room  ?  and, 
being  here,  why  didn't  you  attend  to  your 
duties  at  the  table  ?  *  Wanted  to  have  a  good 
time '  ?  Yes,  that's  what  you  girls  seem  to 
think  you're  made  for.  One  would  think  that 
the  whole  duty  of  women  was  to  flirt  and  dress, 
and  amuse  themselves.  I  thought  we  were  to 
get  our  good  time  out  of  helping  the  poor  disa 
bled  soldiers'  families.  '  Can't  go  home  in 
this  dress  '  ?  Then  you  can  stay  here." 

"  Put  on  my  waterproof,"  said  Hannah, 
good-naturedly,  "  and  that  will  cover  you  all 
up.  The  carriage  can  come  round  to  the  side 
door,  and  you'll  not  be  seen.  Shall  you  come 
back?" 

"  If  you  do,  I  advise  you  to  put  on  a  thick 
dress,"  said  Mrs.  Howard, "  and  attend  to  your 
duties  at  the  table." 

"  Please  don't  say  any  more,"  whined  Anna ; 
"  it's  bad  enough  to  get  wet,  and  cut  such  a 
figure,  without  being  found  fault  with." 


216  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  You  deserve  a  good  scolding,"  said  Mrs. 
Howard,  laughing  as  if  for  the  first  time  struck 
with  the  ridiculous  aspect  of  the  affair ;  "  but  I 
don't  know  but  it  is  '  bad  enough,'  as  you  say, 
to  be  seen  by  your  adorers  in  such  a  trim." 

As  Anna  left  the  hall,  Mrs.  Howard  added 
to  Hannah,  "  What  were  they  saying  to 
you,  a  while  ago,  before  you  left  the  table? 
Something  about  beaux,  I'll  warrant." 

Hannah  colored,  and  said,  "  Only  some  non 
sense  about  Howard  Grey.  I  do  wish,  Aunt 
Maria,  they  would  not  talk  so  foolishly." 

"Just  as  I  supposed,  the  empty-headed 
creatures !  To  them  a  beau  is  the  desidera 
tum  of  life ;  and  so  they  miss  the  free  and 
pleasant  intercourse  of  boys  and  girls,  which 
is  one  of  the  privileges  of  early  life.  It  is 
sickening  to  hear  such  girls  talk." 

"  It  is  unkind,  Aunt  Maria ;  for  they  know 
I  do  not  like  it." 

"  Well,  my  girls  are  not  models,  as  you 
know ;  but  I  should  be  ashamed  of  them,  if 
they  hadn't  room  for  something  else  in  their 
minds  besides  beaux  and  dress.  Flora  and 


THE  SOLDIERS'  FAIR.  217 

Anna,  for  Eva  is  not  as  foolish  as  they  are, 
are  samples  of  our  fast  young  people.  I  wish 
the  number  was  less;  but  I  know  there  are 
still  a  goodly  number,  even  in  this  degenerate 
age,  who  have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal." 

"  Upon  these  our  hope  for  the  revival  of  the 
reign  of  common  sense  rests.  But  we  must 
back  to  our  duties." 

The  fair  proved  most  successful,  and  a 
large  sum  was  realized  for  the  aid  of  the  sol 
diers'  families  who  were  in  want  in  Wellwood. 
Miss  Eliott's  table  was,  on  the  whole,  well  pa 
tronized  by  those  who  had  work  and  a  little 
ready  money  to  spend  for  good  and  well-made 
articles,  and  was  a  source  of  profit  also,  as 
most  of  the  material  had  been  given,  and  the 
work  either  done  gratuitously,  or  paid  for  by 
some  of  the  richer  ladies  who  were  interested 
in  the  fair. 

Hannah  felt  amply  repaid  for  her  fatigue 
in  the  success  of  the  sale  of  the  articles  on 
her  aunt's  table ;  and  on  the  whole,  notwith 
standing  Anna's  cold  bath  and  consequent 
mortification,  the  fair  passed  off  with  fewer 


218  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

heartburnings  and  unpleasant  asides  than  is 
usual  on  such  occasions. 

One  reason  for  this  probably  was,  that  all 
were  so  interested  and  united  in  the  object 
that  petty  jealousies  were  laid  aside. 


"GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  219 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"  GOOD-NIGHT,   DARLING." 

ORGEOUS-HUED  autumn  had  given 
place  to  winter,  the  children  were  busy 
at  school  again,  and  the  quiet  routine  of  Dr. 
Gordon's  household  went  on  as  best  it  could 
without  the  dear  presence  of  its  head,  when 
the  family  were  startled  by  another  of  those 
rude  shocks  which  seldom  come  singly. 

The  first  accounts  from  Dr.  Gordon  had 
been  encouraging ;  but  Nature,  who  is  an  ex 
act  creditor,  never  bating  one  jot  of  her  just 
demands  till  the  full  debt  is  paid,  would  agree 
to  no  compromise :  and,  after  the  first  effect 
of  change  of  air  had  passed,  Dr.  Gordon  was 
prostrated  by  a  fever,  the  germs  of  which  had, 
doubtless,  been  long  in  his  system.  At  first, 
his  kind  friends  wrote  encouragingly,  begging 
Mrs.  Gordon  to  feel  at  ease,  and  assuring  her 


220  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

that  she  should  be  summoned,  if  her  husband's 
state  required  it.  Just  as  her  anxiety  was 
beginning  to  lessen,  a  message  came,  sayinir 
that  the  fever  had  assumed  a  more  malignant 
type,  and  requesting  Mrs.  Gordon  to  come  on 
immediately. 

Mrs.  Gordon  sent  Jack  for  Mr.  Ashton  and 
her  sister  Mary,  and  stated  her  determination 
of  leaving  at  once,  asking  their  advice  as  to 
sending  for  Frank  to  go  with  her. 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Mr.  Ashton,  promptly ; 
"  that  is,  if  you  will  accept  me  instead,  as  an 
escort.  I  owe  my  life  to  your  husband's  care, 
years  ago ;  and  Wellwood  owes  him  many  val 
uable  lives  for  his  skill  and  zeal  last  summer. 
It  is  little  enough  that  I  or  any  one  can  do  for 
a  good  physician,  who  has  done  so  much  for 
us  all.  What!  let  our  beloved  physician  lan 
guish  in  a  distant  place,  and  almost  among 
strangers,  and  not  one  of  his  friends  go  to 
him!  Consent,  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  I  will  make 
preparations  to  take  the  eight-thirty  train  to 
morrow  ;  or,  stay  !  there  is  a  night  train.  Can 
you  get  ready  ?  " 


"GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  221 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Aunt  Mary:  "let  me 
speak  for  her.  Yes,  she  will  consent  to  your 
going  most  gladly,  I  know,  as  I  surely  do." 

"  Good-morning,  then.  Keep  up  good  cour 
age,  Mrs.  Gordon:  I  feel  that  our  mission 
will  not  be  in  vain ; "  and,  with  a  cordial 
shake  of  the  hand,  he  hastened  away. 

To  while  away,  in  idleness  or  doubtful 
amusements,  a  few  weeks  of  God's  precious 
time,  requires,  as  we  all  know,  long  prepara 
tion  and  great  expense ;  but  when  a  crisis  in 
life  comes,  and  we  are  summoned  to  the  sick 
or  dying,  a  few  hours  suffice  for  all  that  is 
needed  to  be  done.  Before  night,  Mrs.  How 
ard  and  Miss  Eliott  had  finished  Mrs.  Gordon's 
packing,  and  necessary  arrangements  had  been 
made  about  the  children. 

Aunt  Mary  was  ready  to  shut  up  her  own 
little  cosey  establishment,  and  keep  house  for 
her  sister ;  while  Mrs.  Howard  said  that  she 
would  look  after  Aunt  Mary,  and  see  that 
she  was  faithful  to  her  charge,  —  an  offer  that 
Charlie,  in  his  inability  to  see  a  joke,  was 
highly  indignant  at. 


222  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

Hannah  would  not  leave  her  mother  for  a 
moment ;  and,  though  it  was  the  hardest  effort 
she  had  yet  made  at  self-control,  she  was  able 
to  keep  down  her  choking  sobs  till  the  door 
had  closed  upon  her,  and  the  sound  of  the 
carriage-wheels  had  died  away.  Then  she 
gave  vent  to  a  burst  of  grief  so  overwhelming, 
that  all  Aunt  Mary's  efforts  were  powerless  to 
soothe  her ;  and  it  was  not  till  Jack,  putting 
his  arms  round  her,  said,  ".Don't,  Hannah, 
don't  cry  so:  what  shall  we  do  if  you  give 
way  ?  "  that  she  was  able  to  check,  in  any  de 
gree,  her  sorrow. 

"  0  Jack !  "  she  said,  as  soon  as  she  could 
speak,  "  I  couldn't  help  it :  I  had  to  cry. 
Mamma  has  been  going  about  all  day  so  pale 
and  still,  and  so  sad,  I  know  she  thinks  —  I 
know  she  is  afraid  "  — 

"  Your  mother  does  feel  very  anxious  about 
your  father ;  but  she  knows,  and  we  all  know, 
God's  will  is  the  right  will.  We  must  try  and 
hope  for  the  best.  Whatever  happens  will  be 
best.  We  can  all  pray  for  the  absent  dear 
ones,  and  then,  dear  child,  we  will  strive  to 
do  our  duty  as  cheerfully  as  we  i-  in." 


"GOOD-NIGHT,   DARLING."  223 

And  Hannah  did  strive,  in  that  trying 
period  of  her  life,  as  she  had  never  striven 
before.  Aside  from  her  grief  at  the  enforced 
separation  from  both  of  her  parents,  and  the 
terror  that  lay  at  her  heart  that  her  almost 
idolized  father  would  be  taken  from  her,  she 
had  her  old  enemies,  headache  and  lassitude, 
to  contend  with. 

A  mistaken  desire  not  to  add  to  Aunt 
Mary's  cares  by  complaints  of  her  health  kept 
her  silent,  while  her  pale  face  was  attributed 
by  her  aunt  to  the  anxiety  she  did  not  express ; 
and,  with  that  idea,  she  thought  that  going  to 
school  would  divert  her  mind,  and  be  of  ben 
efit,  when,  in  reality,  it  was  the  worst  thing 
for  her.  Miss  Eliott's  view  of  the  matter  was 
confirmed  by  the  change  in  Hannah  when 
she  heard  that  Mr.  Ashton  and  her  mother  had 
found  her  father  past  the  crisis  of  his  fever, 
and  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery ;  for  her  spirits 
rose  in  spite  of  headache  and  lassitude. 

But  Dr.  Gordon,  though  past  all  present 
danger,  was  in  a  state  so  enfeebled,  that  Mr. 
Ashton  had  prevailed  upon  Mrs.  Gordon  to 


2:21  STRIVING   AND  GAININO. 

follow  the  dictates  of  her  heart,  and  remain 
with  him. 

.  Indeed,  it  seemed  her  plain  duty  to  do  so ; 
for  he  needed  constant  attention,  and  was 
sometimes  depressed  in  spirits,  —  a  most  un 
usual  condition  for  him  to  be  in. 

She  was  cheered,  too,  by  hearing  good  ac 
counts  of  the  household  band.  Prince  Wal 
ter  had  a  good  nurse,  and  Sammy  knew  no 
want  if  he  could  be  with  Aunt  Mary. 

Emma  had  her  own  peculiar  fashion  of 
being  happy,  and  didn't  seem  to  miss  either 
father  or  mother  much,  provided  there  was 
any  one  to  answer  her  numerous  ques 
tions. 

Jack  and  Charlie  were  very  happy  in  the 
increased  duties  and  responsibilites  which  de 
volved  upon  them  while  their  parents  were 
away. 

As  for  Ella,  who  could  not  become  recon 
ciled  to  her  father's  absence,  she  clung  to 
Hannah  with  a  pertinacity  that  would  not  be 
overcome,  if,  indeed,  Hannah  had  wished  to 
overcome  it.  But  she  did  not ;  for  to  sit  with 


"  GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  225 

Ella  in  her  arms,  and  talk  of  "  dear  papa," 
was  a  mutual  pleasure.  Every  night,  before 
the  "  little  ones  "  went  to  bed,  they  expected 
to  have  half  an  hour's  chat  with  Hannah  ;  and 
Ella,  with  her  little  arms  clinging  fast  round 
her  neck,  would  say,  "  Now  Hanny  tell  us 
more  'bout  dear  papa."  She  would  never  go 
to  bed  without  kissing  his  picture,  which  hung 
in  the  dining-room,  and  saying  to  it,  "  Good 
night,  dear  papa.  Say  good-night  to  mamma, 
too,  for  Ella." 

"  What's  the  use  of  kissing  a  picture  ?  "  said 
Emma,  who  was  very  like  Charlie  in  her  prac 
tical  notions  of  life :  "  'taint  real  papa." 

"  It's  real  papa  'nough  to  kiss.  Ella  make 
believe,  you  know  ;  it  'most  speaks  too." 

So  time  passed  on  to  Hannah,  striving  and 
struggling,  overcoming  and  yielding,  till  she 
sometimes  felt  uncertain  whether  she  gained 
or  lost,  till  midwinter  came,  and  with  it  an 
other  sharp  sudden  blow, — so  sharp  and  sudden 
that  she  was  for  a  time  benumbed  by  it,  and 
felt  that  she  could  make  no  further  effort  in 

any  direction. 

15 


226  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

Ella  —  the  bright,  loving  Ella,  to  whom  she 
gave  so  much  of  her  time  and  thoughts  — 

"  Up  to  her  Father  took  her  way." 

One  night  Miss  Eliott  was  awakened  from 
her  sleep  by  that  terrible  sound,  which  is  of 
itself  almost  a  death-knell  to  a  fond  heart,  — 
the  croup.  She  went  to  Ella,  and  found  her 
in  great  suffering.  All  remedies  were  of  no 
avail  and  in  twenty-four  hours  the  child  "  was 
not." 

Before  she  had  lost  power  of  speech,  she 
had  stretched  out  her  little  arms,  s  tying, "  Dear 
papa ; "  and  then  looking  up  at  her  aunt,  who 
was  bending  over  her,  she  hoarsely  whispered, 
"  Tell  Ella  good-night  darling ; "  the  words  her 
mother  always  used  in  bidding  her  good-night, 
and  this  was  her  last  attempt  at  speaking. 

For  the  first  time,  Hannah  stood  face  to 
face  with  death ;  but  it  was  death  in  a  form 
so  lovely  that  it  had  no  terrors  for  her. 

More  beautiful  than  in  life  Ella  lay,  with 
her  little  hands  crossed  upon  her  breast,  her 
fair  curls  parted  off  from  her  pure  white  brow, 


"GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  227 

with  that  wonderful  beauty  of  expression 
which  is  so  common  on  the  faces  of  little 
children  who  have  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus. 

"  0  Aunt  Mary,"  sobbed  Hannah,  "  how 
lovely  she  is  1  '  Can  this  be  death  ?  ' 

"  Yes,  dear,-  this  is  death ;  or  rather,  if  we 
could  realize  it,  it  is  life. 

'  They  are  going,  only  going,  — 

Out  of  pain  and  into  bliss ; 
Out  of  sad  and  sinful  weakness, 

Into  perfect  holiness. 
Snowy  brows,  —  no  care  shall  shade  them; 

Bright  eyes,  —  tears  shall  never  dim; 
Rosy  lips, — no  time  shall  fade  them : 

Jesus  called  them  unto  him. 

Little  hearts  for  ever  stainless, 

Little  hands  as  pure  as  they, 
Little  feet  by  angels  guided 

Never  a  forbidden  way ! 
They  are  going,  ever  going,  — 

Leaving  many  a  lonely  spot ; 
But  'tis  Jesus  who  has  called  them : 

Suffer,  and  forbid  them  not.' " 

"  But,  0  dear  aunt  Mary !  it  cannot  bo 
wrong  to  mourn  for  them." 


228  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"To  mourn  for  ourselves,  dear,  is  natural 
and  right,  if  not  carried  to  an  excess ;  but,  if 
you  think  of  it,  you  will  know  that  you  cannot 
mourn  for  the  darling." 

"  But  papa  and  mamma,  Aunt  Mary, —  they 
love  us  all  so  much,  and  Ell*  was  always 
clinging  to  papa,  loving  and  kissing  him :  how 
will  they  bear  it  so  far  away  from  us  all  ?  " 

"  Your  father  and  mother  will  bear  it  as  they 
bear  all  their  trials  in  life.  '  The  Lord  gave, 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away.  Blessed  be 
his  name.' ' 

It  was  sad  tidings  for  these  fond  and  loving 
parents  to  receive  in  their  distant  home,  that 
one  link  from  the  household  chain  was 
severed ;  but  their  true  Christian  faith  did  not 
desert  them  here,  and  they  strove  rather  to 
dwell  upon  the  gain  to  the  little  darling  so 
early  transplanted  to  her  heavenly  home,  than 
upon  the  loss  to  themselves. 

Still,  Mrs.  Gordon's  heart  ached,  as  mother's 
hearts  only  can  ache,  that  she  was  not  by  to 
kiss  the  dear  brow,  and  hold  the  little  clasp 
ing  hand,  and  hear  the  last  words  her  lips 


"  GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  229 

should  utter  on  earth.  Not  for  one  moment, 
however,  did  she  regret  that  she  had  decided 
to  remain  with  her  husband. 

After  the  intelligence  of  the  event  came,  she 
said  to  him,  "  I  thought  over  all  possibilities, 
when  I  made  up  my  mind  that  my  duty  was  here 
with  you,  and  I  thought  of  this,  —  that  sud 
den  disease  might  take  from  our  earthly  home 
one  of  our  dear  ones ;  but  I  left  them  under 
the  kindest  care,  and  commended  them  to  our 
and  their  Heavenly  Father,  and  can  say  even 
now,  while  this  wound  is  sharp  and  deep,  that 
I  do  not  regret  that  I  remained." 

"  I  cannot  be  too  grateful  that  you  feel  so, 
Margaret,"  said  Dr.  Gordon ;  "  for  I  hardly 
know  how  I  could  have  borne  this  alone,  en 
feebled,  so  far  from  you  all.  Ella  was  like  a 
tender  vine  to  me,  and  to  know  that  these  deli 
cate  tendrils  are  wrenched  from  me  so  quickly 
and  sharply  is  a  heavy  grief  indeed.  Yet  do 
I  blush  to  be  so  unmanned  while  you,  her 
mother,  bear  up  so  bravely." 

"  It  is  from  the  hand  of  the  Lord "  was 
Mrs.  Gordon's  reply. 


230  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

As  soon  as  Hannah  recovered  from  the  first 
shock  of  Ella's  death,  she  wrote  a  long  letter 
to  her  father  and  mother,  in  which  she  said, 
"  There  is  one  thing  I  wish  to  tell  you  about 
our  darling,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  not  think 
I  speak  of  it  in  a  boasting  spirit,  but  because  I 
know  it  will  gratify  you  both.  No  one  seemed 
to  miss  you,  dear  papa,  so  much  as  Ella ;  and, 
after  mamma  was  called  away,  she  clung  to 
me  constantly,  whenever  I  was  in  the  house, 
and  at  leisure  to  attend  to  her.  Sometimes, 
when  I  was  very  tired  and  had  the  headache, 
I  did  feel  impatient,  and  would  wish  for  a  mo 
ment  that  she  would  go  to  some  one  else ;  but 
the  feeling  never  lasted  long,  and  I  believe  I 
did  not  give  any  expression  to  it,  for  she  never 
once  turned  from  me  when  she  wanted  com 
fort  or  petting.  Dear  little  Ella!  how  she 
would  cling  to  me  and  kiss  me,  and  how  hap 
py  she  was  when  I  talked  to  her  about  you, 
and  told  her  stories  that  you  had  told  me 
about  yourself  when  a  boy !  She  would  clap 
her  little  hands,  and  say, '  Funny  papa  Gordon 
to  do  so/  or  *  Dear  papa,  to  be  so  good  to  poor 


"GOOD-NIGHT,  DARLING."  231 

lame  boy.'  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  her  the 
day  I  told  her  she  might  write  some  kisses  to 
you.  She  sat  down  on  her  little  footstool, 
put  her  paper  on  a  big  chair,  and  made  her 
usual  marks,  with  a  dot  in  the  middle,  for  fif 
teen  minutes.  Then  she  kissed  them,  every 
one,  and  asked  me  to  '  fold  the  paper  right  up 
and  put  it  in  a  onveller  quick,  Hanny,  'fore 
the  kisses  dry  up.'  Once  she  said, '  If  papa 
wants  mamma,  he  oughter  have  her,  she's  so 
good.'  When  I  think  how  happy  we  have  been 
together  this  winter,  it  is  a  great  comfort  to 
me ;  but  I  do  miss  her  so  much  every  hour 
that  I  am  in  the  house  !  Emma  does  not  miss 
her  as  I  do ;  for  she  and  Charlie  are  a  good 
deal  together  now.  Jack  has  almost  outgrown 
him  ;  and  he  seems  so  manly,  I  know  you  would 
both  be  pleased.  Not  that  he  isn't  Jack  still 
in  his  fun  and  spirits,  but  he  certainly  does 
appear  changed.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
how  pleasantly  he  gave  up  two  or  three  skating 
parties,  because  Aunt  Mary  didn't  feel  quite 
safe  to  have  him  go,  when  she  thought  the  ice 
was  not  strong,  and  once  because  he  had  a 


232  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

bad  cold.  It  was  so  different  from  last  sum 
mer  about  the  sailing  party. 

"  I  try  to  think  your  being  away  is  good  for 
us  children,  as  I  know  it  is  for  you  both ;  but 
I  shall  be  the  happiest  girl  in  Wellwood  when 
you  come  home.  Aunt  Maria  is  as  kind  as  she 
can  be.  I  used  to  be  afraid  of  her,  because  I 
thought  she  was  always  thinking  more  how 
people  were  dressed  than  any  thing  else ;  but  I 
know  better  now,  for  no  one  could  be  kinder 
than  she  was  in  our  sorrow  about  Ella. 

"  *  Dear  little  angel ! '  she  said,  as  she 
strewed  over  her  the  beautiful  flowers  she 
brought ;  '  her  pure  spirit  is  clothed  in  heav 
enly  raiment  now.' 

"  Only  get  well,  dear  papa  and  mamma,  and 
come  home  to  your  loving  children,  and  I  do 
not  feel  as  if  I  could  ever  have  a  dissatisfied 
feeling  again." 


"  RICH   OR   POOR  ?  "  233 


M 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"BICH  OR  POOR?" 

ONTHS  have  passed  since  the  events 
occurred  which  were  told  in  the  last 
chapter,  and  Hannah's  fifteenth  birthday  has 
come.  Although  her  face  has  a  happier  and 
more  peaceful  expression  than  it  has  worn  for 
a  long  time,  she  is  pale  and  languid,  and  leans 
back  in  her  father's  chair,  as  if  too  weary  to 
sit  upright.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  have  re 
turned  to  the  home,  made  dearer  than  ever, 
since,  from  thence,  a  pure  spirit  has  been  born 
into  immortal  life.  Dr.  Gordon  has  recovered 
his  health,  although  not  as  strong  and  robust 
as  in  former  years ;  and  Mrs.  Gordon  gained 
greatly  in  vigor  from  rest  and  change. 

The  family  are  all  assembled  in  the  sitting- 
room,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  youngest 
boys ;  and  Aunt  Mary  and  Aunt  Maria  are  with 
them. 


234  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

"I  have  a  question  to  propound  to  you 
all,  —  a  question  I  have  discussed  before,  with 
at  least  two  members  of  the  family :  Are  we 
rich  or  poor  ?  "  said  Dr.  Gordon. 

"  Very,  very  rich  in  blessings  without  num 
ber, —  rich,  too,  in  friends  and  comforts,"  an 
swered  Mrs.  Gordon,  with  deep  feeling  in  her 
voice. 

•"Very  rich  he  is  in  virtues,' 

I  should  say,  papa,  with  Mrs.  Browning,  if  I 
may  say  it  of  you,"  said  Hannah :  "  what  do 
you  think,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  all  are  rich  in  what 
papa  and  mamma  would  call  the  best  riches, 
but  not  quite  so  rich  in  money  as  I  wish  we 
were." 

"  Not  rich  at  all,  as  Wellwood  people  count 
riches,"  said  Charlie,  very  positively.  "  If  we 
were,  I  know  I'd  ask  you,  papa,  for  a  window 
in  our  workroom,  for  a  pony,  for  a  new  set  of 
tools,  for  a  printing-press,  and,  oh,  a  lot  more 
things!" 

"  Yes,  and,  if  I  gave  you  the  window,  you'd 


"  RICH   OB   POOR  ?  "  235 

want  blinds  to  it ;  if  I  gave  the  blinds,  you'd 
want  outside  steps,  and  then  you'd  want  the 
lumber-room  added  to  the  other.  If  I  gave 
you  a  pony,  you'd  want  a  pony-carriage,  and 
then  a  boy  to  take  care  of  both. 

"  If  you  had  the  printing-press,  you'd  want 
an  office ;  if  you  had  the  tools,  you'd  ask  for 
a  lathe  ;  and,  if  you  had  the  '  lot  more  things/ 
you'd  want  twenty  lots  more  beside." 

"  Oh,  no,  sir !  I  never  should  be  so  unrea 
sonable." 

"  Then  you  would  be  very  unlike  the  rest 
of  the  world.  The  story  of  the  new  carpet  a 
man  bought  for  his  wife,  that  cost  him,  in  the 
end,  twenty  thousand  dollars,  or  more,  is  very 
true  to  human  nature  in  general." 

"  A  carpet  cost  twenty  thousand  dollars  ?  " 
said  Charlie  ;  "  then  it  must  have  been  woven 
in  with  precious  stones." 

"Not  at  all:  it  was  simply  a  handsome 
Brussels  carpet;  but,  when  the  carpet  was 
put  down,  the  furniture  looked  mean  and 
shabby,  and  had  to  be  replaced.  When  the 
drawing-room  was  in  order,  the  other  rooms 


236  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

did  not  correspond ;  and  when  all  was  fur 
nished  throughout,  lo !  the  house  was  too  poor 
and  small  for  such  grand  array,  and  another 
one  had  to  be  bought :  and  so  the  carpet  cost 
between  twenty  and  thirty  thousand  dollars." 

"  The  man  wasn't  very  wise,"  said  Charlie, 
"  or  he  wouldn't  have  kept  on  buying  things. 
But  he  was  all  that  better  off,  wasn't  he, 
papa?" 

"  I  doubt  it,  though  I  am  unable  to  follow 
out  his  history.  Probably  his  wants  and  his 
family's  wants  increased  with  the  means  to 
gratify  them ;  so  that,  in  point  of  fact,  he  was 
never  a  bit  the  richer  than  at  first.  Or,  as 
Young  has  it,  — 

1  High  built  abundance,  heap  on  heap !  for  what  ? 
To  breed  new  wants,  and  beggar  us  the  more.' " 

"  Do  you  suppose,  papa,  that  is  a  true 
story  ? " 

Dr.  Gordon  laughed,  and  answered,  "  True 
enough  for  my  purpose,  which  is  to  prove, 
that,  if  a  man  is  not  rich  in  small  possessions 
and  great  blessings,  he  never  will  be  rich ; 


"RICH   OB  POOR?"  237 

that  is,  he  will  always  have  a  host  of  unsatis 
fied  desires,  and  they  will  grow  and  multiply 
in  proportion  to  his  means.  Now,  I  mean  to 
answer  my  own  question.  We  have  a  compe 
tency,  sufficient  to  insure  most  of  the  comforts 
of  life,  and  a  few  of  its  luxuries ;  we  have  the 
love  and  esteem  of  dear  friends  ;  we  have  each 
of  us  our  own  special  gifts  and  talents ;  we 
have  family  union  and  family  affection ;  we 
have  all  the  blessings  God  bestows  alike  upon 
the  evil  and  good,  the  just  and  unjust ;  and  we 
have,"  (in  a  lower  and  more  tender  voice),  "  I 
trust,  treasures  laid  up  in  heaven,  whither  one 
of  our  band  has  preceded  us.  0  my  children! 
do  not  long  too  much  for  gold  and  silver, 
when  we  have  treasures  of  so  much  greater 
value." 

There  was  a  pause,  broken,  at  last,  by  Jack, 
who  said, "  And  yet,  papa,  all  the  world  seems 
striving  for  money:  it  must  be  a  good  thing 
to  have." 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  have,  but  not  the  best 
thing,  or  the  only  thing.  Still,  I  am  not  sorry 
to  be  able  to  tell  you  that  I  have  just  received 


238  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

a  legacy  of  ten  thousand  dollars, —  not  a  for 
tune,  to  be  sure,  but  a  sum  which  will  aid  mo 
in  educating  my  children,  and  enable  mamma 
to  have  the  needed  repairs  made  in  house  and 
furniture." 

This  news  was  received  with  rapture  by  all 
but  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  with  various  exclama 
tions  of  delight  from  the  children. 

"  Hurrah !  "  said  Jack,  "  I'm  glad  for  one. 
You  can  start  me  in  business,  by  and  by,  papa, 
and  now  you  needn't  work  so  hard  to  send 
Frank  to  college." 

"  I'm  gladder  !  "  exclaimed  Charlie.  "  Now 
I  guess  we  shall  get  the  window,  if  not  the 
pony." 

"  Mamma,  you  can  have  a  seamstress  now 
when  you  need  one,  and  papa  can  give  up 
his  night-practice "  was  Hannah's  remark ; 
"and"- 

"  Out  with  it,  child,"  said  her  father. 

"  I  couldn't  help  thinking  I  sha'n't  care  if 
the  girls  do  laugh  at  my  dress,  as  long  as  I 
know  you  are  not  poor.  Ten  thousand  dollars 
is  a  good  deal  of  money,  isn't  it,  papa  ?  " 


"  RICH   OB  POOR  ?  "  239 

"  Yes,  in  one  sense  ;  no,  in  another.  It  will 
not  be  much,  if  I  must  dress  you  like  a  figure 
in  a  shop-window,  or  if  mamma  runs  wild 
upon  her  house-improvements,  or  if  Master 
Charlie  has  his  modest  list  and  its  additions 
filled.  It  is  a  good  deal,  if  we  only  aim  to  sup 
ply  reasonable  wants.  It  will  give  me  more 
for  my  yearly  charities ;  it  will  enable  me,  as 
Jack  says,  to  send  Frank  to  college,  and  to 
give  Jack  a  lift,  in  the  future,  in  his  business, 
if  he  needs  it.  Charlie  shall  have  the  window 
in  the  shed,  and  perhaps,  by  and  by,  the  tools ; 
and  you  shall  have  a  love  of  a  dress  when  you 
come  home,  if  you  are  rosy  and  fat." 

"  Come  home  ?     I  am  at  home  now  " — 

"  Oli,  I  am  before  my  story !  one  thing  at 
a  time.  Mamma  shall  have  all  the  money  she 
wants,  to  make  the  old  house  shine.  It  does 
need  paint  and  paper  sadly,  and  one  or  two 
new  carpets.  The  man  I  told  you  of,  Charlie, 
whose  carpet  cost  him  so  much,  hadn't  a 
mamma  like  ours  to  manage  for  him,  you  may 
be  sure. 

"  As  to  you,  Hannah,  legacy  or  no  legacy, 


240  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

I  should  have  sent  you  away  this  summer. 
I  won't  say  a  word  now  about  study.  It'll 
keep ;  and,  when  I  do  pour  out  my  vials  of 
wrath,  you'll  all  be  frightened  ;  though  I'm  as 
much  —  more  to  blame  than  anybody.  But 
one  thing  I'm  resolved  upon,  and  that  is  to 
put  you  upon  a  rigid  course  of  mental  absti 
nence  till  you  are  well  and  strong  again ;  and 
so  I  am  going  to  send  you  away  for  three  or 
four  months,  with  Aunt  Mary." 

"  You  always  were  an  odd  fellow,  Frank," 
said  Mrs.  Howard ;  "  and  this  is  one  of  your 
oddest  whims.  I  thought  Miss  Eliott  repre 
sented  Minil,  and  I  Fashion,  in  your  estima 
tion  :  now,  if  Fashion  is  as  empty-headed  as 
she  is  supposed  to  be,  why,  to  be  consistent, 
Hannah  should  go  with  me." 

"  Yes,  to  have  her  poor  aching  head  wor 
ried  with  the  din  and  crowds  of  Newport. 
No,  Maria :  quiet,  and  pure  air,  are  what  she 
needs ;  and  I  can  trust  to  Aunt  Mary  not  to 
excite  her  too  much." 

"  But  the  child'll  die  of  ennui  in  that  quiet 
Moravian  town  Aunt  Mary  proposes  taking  her 


"RICH  OB  POOR?"  241 

to  ;  whereas,  with  me,  she  could  see  somewhat 
of  the  life  going  on  at  Newport,  without  join 
ing  in  it ;  and  there  is  the  sea-bathing." 

"  Sea-air  is  not  the  air  she  needs.  She 
must  have  absolute  change.  I  thank  you  for 
your  willingness  to  take  her;  but  I  cannot 
change  my  plan." 

"  I'm  morally  certain  she'll  be  homesick, 
poor  thing!  " 

"  I  hope  not.  Hannah,  did  you  know  that 
your  friend  Lydia  was  not  well?  Dr.  Man 
ning  tells  me  he  is  anxious  about  her  case,  — 
not  like  yours,  one  of  simple  debility,  —  but 
an  ugly  little  cough.  If  Mr.  Percy  could  hear 
him  run  on  about  overworking  brains,  he 
would  not  feel  very  comfortable  ;  though,  as  I 
told  Manning,  it's  the  parents,  and  not  the 
teachers,  who  are  to  blame.  It's  a  teacher's 
business  to  cultivate  the  ground  intrusted  to 
his  care.  It  is  not  his  to  know  all  the  ante 
cedents  of  his  scholars,  their  natural  and 
inherited  tendencies.  Besides,  in  this  case,  it 
was  Mr.  Percy  who  warned  Mrs.  Harris  that 

her  daughter  was  studying  too  hard." 
16 


242  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

"  0  papa !  you  do  not  feel  afraid  that  Lydia 
will  not  get  over  this  ?  —  she  seems  so  bright 
and  happy ! " 

"  I  fear,  but  I  hope  for  the  best,  —  I  mean 
for  what  we,  in  our  blindness,  always  think  for 
the  best;  but  there  is  much  in  her  case  to 
contend  against.  I  tell  you  this,  Hannah, 
to  impress  upon  you  the  absolute  necessity  of 
giving  up  your  studies  for  a  long  time." 

"  When  am  I  to  go  away,  papa  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  Aunt  Mary  is  ready." 


TWO   KINDS   OF   UEST. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

TWO   KINDS   OF  REST. 

A  FORTNIGHT  later  found  Miss  Eliott 
and  Hannah  comfortably  settled  in  a 
quiet  boarding-place  in  the  Moravian  town  on 
the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Lehigh.  Hannah 
experienced  a  sense  of  rest  and  freedom  from 
care,  to  winch  she  had  long  been  a  stranger. 
She  did  not  pine  for  home  and  friends,  dear 
as  they  were  to  her ;  for  she  was  too  weak  and 
exhausted  to  do  so.  Indeed,  it  was  not  till 
they  were  fairly  established  in  their  summer- 
home,  and  the  pressure  of  all  excitement 
removed,  that  Miss  Eliott,  or  Hannah  herself, 
knew  how  feeble  she  was. 

"I  am  afraid,"  she  said  one  day  to  her  aunt, 
"  that  I  did  very  wrong  last  winter,  in  not  tell 
ing  you  how  sick  and  miserable  I  felt  half  the 
time.  I  did  not  want  to  increase  your  cares,  it 


244  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

is  true ;  but  I  thought  still  more,  perhaps,  of 
falling  back  in  my  class:  and  now  —  do  you 
think,  Aunt  Mary,  I  shall  ever  be  well, 
again  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do,  my  dear ;  but  you  need 
long  rest  of  mind  and  body.  I  hope,  in  a 
fortnight,  you  will  begin  to  feel  the  benefit  of 
this  clear,  pure  air.  You  must  not  reproach 
yourself  for  last  winter's  error,  but  give  your 
self  up  to  all  healthful  and  pleasant  influ 
ences." 

Aunt  Mary  was  right.  The  first  week  of 
their  stay,  Hannah  spent  most  of  her  time 
lying  on  the  bed,  sometimes  walking  out  a  few 
steps :  the  second  week,  she  was  able  gradu 
ally  to  increase  her  walks,  until  she  could, 
with  ease,  go  to  the  beautiful  cemetery,  high 
up  on  the  bank  of  the  Lehigh  River ;  and  this 
became  their  daily  place  of  resort.  Miss  Eliott 
would  bring  with  her  some  light  work,  and 
Hannah  would  sit  or  recline  for  hours  under 
the  shade  of  the  overspreading  trees,  looking 
down  upon  the  beautiful  winding  river,  far 
below  them,  or  over  to  the  other  bank,  where 


TWO   KINDS   OP  REST.  245 

the  land  was  low  and  level,  upon  lines  of  rail 
road,  factories,  and  other  signs  of  life  and 
trade,  in  marked  contrast  with  their  sur 
roundings. 

"  It  is  good  to  be  here,  Aunt  Mary,"  said 
Hannah,  one  day,  after  a  long  interval  of  si 
lence,  "  and  yet  so  strange ;  it  is  so  very  quiet 
and  peaceful.  I  can't  help  feeling  sometimes, 
when  I  lie  in  the  dreamy  state  I  am  in  so 
much  of  the  time,  a^|  breathe  in  the  peace 
and  quiet  of  this  spot,  and  listen  to  the  dead 
ened  sounds  of  life  and  work  from  the  other 
side,  as  if  I  was  on  the  border-land  which  lies 
between  us  and  heaven.  Even  when  I  go 
back  to  the  town,  thickly  settled  as  it  is, 
with  the  houses  so  near  the  street,  the  illu 
sion  is  kept  up.  How  very  unlike  this  place 
is  to  any  I  was  ever  in  before  !  and  how  very 
unlike  Wellwood,  where  one  sees  so  much  that 
is  disagreeable,  and  hears  so  much  that  is 
shocking !  " 

"  Others  have  felt  as  you  do,  my  dear.  I 
came  here,  some  years  ago,  with  your  Uncle 
Walter  and  a  dear  friend  of  ours,  who  was  out 


246  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

of  health.  He  used  to  say,  this  friend,  just 
what  you  say;  and  —  it  was  the  border-land 
of  heaven  to  him.  He  passed  *  over  the 
river,'  which  divides  time  and  eternity,  from 
here." 

Aunt  Mary  paused ;  and  her  always  beau 
tiful  face  shone,  as  if  she  even  now  held  sweet 
communion  with  "  the  friend "  who  had  loft 
her.  Hannah  asked  no  questions ;  but  her 
quick  perceptions  and^aagi nation  built  up,  at 
once,  a  life-romance  about  dear  Aunt  Mary  and 
this  friend.  She  recalled  a  picture  of  a  noble- 
looking  man  that  she  had  seen  in  her  aunt's 
private  room  ;  and  she  felt  sure  that  the  origi 
nal  and  this  friend  were  the  same.  She 
remembered,  too,  asking  her  aunt  once  if  it 
was  the  portrait  of  one  of  her  uncles,  and 
that  she  had  wondered  at  the  quiet  answer,  — 
"  Not  quite." 

Aunt  Mary,  so  tender  and  kind,  so  self- 
sacrificing,  so  ready  to  enter  into  every  good 
work,  so  cheerful  and  happy  too,  —  she  had 
had  a  romance  in  her  life ;  and  Hannah  fell  to 
dreaming  again,  and  wondering  how  many  of 


TWO   KINDS   OP  BEST.  247 

the  quiet,  useful,  happy  people  she  knew,  who 
were  unmarried,  had  some  such  history  kept 
fresh  and  green  in  their  hearts,  though  buried 
out  of  sight. 

After  a  while,  Hannah  said,  "  I  am  very 
glad  you  brought  me  here,  Aunt  Mary  ;  but  I 
should  not  like  to  live  here,  if  I  was  well  and 
strong.  It  seems  to  be  just  made  for  a  rest 
ing-place." 

"  Yet  the  Moraviaj^,  who  constitute  the 
greater  part  of  the  population,  are  a  busy, 
thrifty,  and,  in  their  way,  active  people.  The 
spirit  of  their  religion  pervades  every  thing: 
they  love  peace,  quiet,  and  order.  You  must 
have  noticed  the  almost  entire  absence  of 
intemperance  and  profanity  in  the  streets, 
and  about  the  public  houses,  and  on  the 
shore." 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  and  that  boy,  who  became 
so  impatient  the  other  night  because  he 
couldn't  get  his  boat  loose,  swore  at  last ;  but 
it  was  under  his  breath." 

"  One  could  bear  a  great  deal  of  quiet  with 
such  pleasant  accompaniments.  They  are 


248  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

not  a  tame,  spiritless  people  either.  They 
sent  their  full  quota  of  young  men  to  the 
war." 

At  other  times,  Hannah  would  pour  out 
to  her  aunt  the  experiences  and  struggles 
of  the  last  year,  and  gained  from  her  much 
comfort  and  aid,  in  her  kindly  words  of 
cheer  and  encouragement:  and  so  the  sum 
mer  months  wore  on,  and  September  came ; 
and  Hannah  grew  affte  well  and  strong, 
the  color  returned  toiler  cheeks,  and  the 
spring  of  abounding  life  came  back  to  her 
step. 

She  had,  for  the  most  part,  pleasant  tidings 
from  home,  though  Helen  Ashton  wrote  in  a 
sad  strain  of  Lydia  Harris,  even  telling  her 
that  she  must  be  prepared  to  find  her  greatly 
changed.  But  Hannah  was  not  prepared  for 
the  great  change  which  she  found  had  taken 
place,  when  she  went  to  see  her  soon  after  her 
return  home. 

It  was  not  alone  that  she  had  lost  flesh  and 
strength,  or  that  she  had  the  fatal  beauty  of 
her  insidious  disease  ;  but  that  her  expression, 


TWO   KINDS   OF  REST.  249 

formerly  sometimes  defiant,  was  so  lovely  and 
angelic. 

"  Dear  Lydia,"  said  Hannah,  "  I  didn't 
know  that  you  were  so  sick." 

"  Yes,  Hannah,  sick  unto  death.  No  more 
propositions  or  problems,  no  more  Latin  or 
German,  for  me  in  this  world.  I  am  happy 
to  go,  and  be  at  rest.  I  have  not  had  a  per 
fectly  smooth  life,  as  you  know ;  and  I  have 
sometimes  rebelled  at  little  things,  that  now  I 
see  in  their  true  light.  I  wanted  to  tell  you, 
Hannah,  that  all  the  girls  of  our  class  have 
been  very  kind  to  me  this  summer ;  with  one 
exception,  that  is.  They  have  brought  me 
delicacies  and  flowers  and  fruits." 

"  Yes,"  said  Hannah,  indignantly  ;  "  after 
stabbing  you  with  cruel  words  or  more  cruel 
acts." 

"  Hush,  hush,  dear !  it  was  thoughtlessness 
in  most  of  them.  They  did  not  mean  to  be 
cruel.  Do  not  dwell  upon  the  past  in  that 
way,  when  I  am  gone.  I  want  you  to  remem 
ber  me  as  one  who  left  the  world  in  peace 
with  all,  and  who  rejoices,  that,  thus  early  in 


250  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

life,  her  battle  has  been  fought,  her  victory 
won ;  for,"  she  added,  raising  her  eyes  to 
heaven,  "  I  have  such  exceeding  peace,  I  am 
sure  jt  must  be  so." 

In  this  calm  and  lovely  spirit  she  passed 
away,  leaving  a  sad  void  in  her  home,  where 
she  had  been  at  once  the  pride  and  joy  of  her 
parents'  hearts.  Once  her  mother  had  said  to 
her,  "  0  Lydia !  how  strange  it  is,  that  you 
should  be  taken  away,  when  your  talents 
were  so  rapidly  unfolding,  your  progress  so 
rapid ! " 

"  Dear  mother,"  she  answered,  "  do  not  be 
lieve  that  God  has  given  any  of  us  powers 
that  an  entrance  into  his  kingdom  will  check ; 
rather  believe  that  there  they  will  have  more 
rapid  development,  free  from  the  hinderances 
of  earth." 

When  the  funeral-services  were  over,  the 
young  girls  of  her  class,  who  were  all  present, 

—  except  Anna  Blake,  upon  whose  frivolous 
nature  nothing  seemed  to  make  an  impression, 

—  walked  home  together,  talking  of  Lydia  as 
they  went. 


TWO   KINDS   OP  REST.  251 

"  It  is  so  strange,"  said  Flora,  "  that  Anna 
would  not  come  with  us !  she  must  be  a  heart 
less  girl,  Eva." 

"  We  were  just  as  heartless  once,  I  suppose. 
Mamma  proposed  my  going  to  see  Lydia  in  the 
summer,  and  carrying  her  fruit  and  flowers. 
I  didn't  want  to  go  a  bit,  but  I  thought  I 
would  for  once ;  and  you  can't  tell  how  fasci 
nated  I  was  with  her,  and  every  thing  around 
her.  The  room  looked  so  neat  and  pretty, 
and  she  herself  was  lovely:  she  never  was 
pretty,  you  know.  I  thought,  perhaps,  she 
would  be  cold  and  distant,  —  we  used  to  say 
she  shut  herself  in  a  shell,  like  an  oyster, — 
but  no,  she  was  very  kind  and  pleasant ;  and 
I  felt  heartily  ashamed  of  having  thought  it  a 
condescension  to  visit  her." 

"  Yes,  I  went  there,  once  or  twice ;  but  I 
couldn't  feel  at  ease.  I  kept  wishing  I  had 
been  kinder  to  her  at  school ;  but  then  she 
didn't  belong  to  *  our  set,'  and  I  didn't  think 
she  cared." 

"  Ah,  girls ! "  said  Miss  Eliott,  who  over 
heard  this  remark,  "  who  made  your  '  set '  ? 


252  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

Not  your  Heavenly  Father,  who  is  no  respecter 
of  persons." 

The  words  were  few  and  kindly  spoken ; 
and  they  sank  deep  into  the  hearts  of  the 
young  girls,  who  were  in  a  state  to  receive 
impressions. 


ANOTHER  CRUST.  253 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ANOTHER    CRUST. 

"  A  NOTHER  victim  to  over-study,"  said 
-£^-  Dr.  Gordon  to  Mr.  Percy,  who  came 
to  the  house  that  evening. 

"  I  fear  so,  though  I  warned  her  parents 
when  I  perceived  her  danger.  Perhaps  1 
didn't  see  it  as  soon  as  I  might,  we  are  so 
prone  to  look  at  things  and  people  in  the  light 
of  our  professions.  Mine  is,  you  know,  to 
make  the  most  of  talents  given  me  to  de 
velop." 

"  Of  course  ;  as  I've  said,  parents  are  most 
in  fault :  our  whole  system  is  wrong,  as  no 
one  knows  better  than  myself;  and  yet,  if 
Hannah  had  had  the  same  tendencies  to 
disease  that  Lydia  had,  she  would  not  have 
escaped.  I  shudder  when  I  think  how  we 
treat  these  young,  growing,  sensitive  crea- 


254  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

tures,  who,  with  quivering  nerves,  are  meeting 
the  demands  Nature  makes  upon  them,  in 
order  that  her  gifts  may  be  brought  to  perfec 
tion.  At;  this  trying  period  of  their  lives,  we 
put  them  upon  a  course  of  study  which  would 
tax  the  brains  of  adults.  Sometimes  they  are 
able  to  meet  both  demands ;  but  often  they  are 
not,  and  the  result  is  —  such  as  we  have  seen 
to-day." 

"  Do  you  not  overrate  the  evil,  sir  ?  "  asked 
•Mr.  Percy.  "  It  seems  to  me,  such  cases  as 
Lydia's  are  comparatively  rare." 

"  By  no  means  as  rare  as  you  suppose. 
Too  great  application  to  study  between  the 
ages  of  twelve  and  sixteen  is  not  always,  per 
haps  not  often,  followed  by  such  immediate 
results  as  in  Lydia's  case ;  but  many  a  young 
mother  who  lies  in  her  coffin  owes  her  early 
death  to  this  cause,  and  no  one  doubts  that 
there  are  cases  of  insanity  traceable  to  over- 
study  when  the  physical  system  could  not 
bear  it.  We  all  know  that  some  of  our  finest 
minds  and  noblest  natures  are  taken  from  us 
in  this  way.  One  such  lost  to  our  country  and 


ANOTHER   CRUST.  255 

humanity  is  sufficient  to  arouse  attention ;  but, 
believe  me,  they  do  not  count  by  ones." 

'"But,  papa,"  said  Hannah,  who  was  an  in 
terested  listener,  "  I  thought  that  you  approved 
of  girls  having  a  thorough  education,  and 
studying  the  higher  branches." 

u  I  approve  of  girls  studying  any  and  all 
branches  they  have  an  aptitude  for.  I  believe 
in  girls'  and  women's  rights  to  follow  the  bent 
Nature  has  given  them  in  literature,  art,  or 
science.  What  I  do  not  believe  in,  either  as  a 
physician  or  a  Christian,  is  in  crowding  into 
three  or  four  years  the  studies  which  should 
be  spread  over  at  least  twice  that  period. 
And,  to  make  a  practical  application  of  my 
little  discourse,  I  cannot  consent  to  your  re 
turning  to  school  before  next  spring." 

Hannah's  countenance  fell  from  its  bright, 
earnest  expression,  into  one  of  blank  dismay. 

"  0  papa !  not  go  to  school  this  winter, 
when  I  feel  so  well  and  strong,  so  equal  to 
any  thing !  You  cannot  mean  it !  " 

"  I  certainly  do  mean  it,  dear.  You  are  well 
and  strong  apparently:  I  mean  you  shall 


256  STRIVING  AND  GAINING. 

continue  so;  and  I  mean  now  at  least  to  bo 
consistent  with  my  theory." 

"  But  consider,  papa,  —  0  Mr.  Percy ! 
please  tell  him,  —  I  must  fall  into  a  lower 
class  whenever  I  do  go  back ;  and  then  I  do 
so  dearly  love  to  study ! " 

"  Better  fall  back  into  a  lower  class,  my 
child,  than  fall  out  of  the  ranks  of  life,  where 
you  are  so  much  loved  and  needed.  As  to 
Mr.  Percy,  I  will  hear  if  he  has  any  thing 
to  say." 

"  I  have  only  this  to  say,  sir,  that,  with  your 
daughter's  natural  abilities  and  application, 
she  is  equal  to  ranking,  as  she  has  done,  fore 
most  in  her  class,  and  that  I  shall  regret  to 
lose  her ;  but  —  " 

"  Oh ! "  said  Hannah  excitedly,  "please 
don't  say  '  but,'  Mr.  Percy." 

"  I  must  say  it  in  this  case,  painful  as  it  is 
to  me  to  say  the  word  so  disagreeable  to  you ; 
but  —  I  think  your  father  is  right." 

Hannah's  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  Mr. 
Percy  continued :  "  I  appreciate  so  fully  the 
sacrifice  you  are  making,  Dr.  Gordon,  in  with- 


ANOTHER   CRUST.  257 

holding  your  daughter  from  the  place  she 
might  take  in  school,  that  I  cannot  urge  or 
even  speak  of  my  own  selfish  interest  in  the 
matter ;  and  yet  a  teacher  does  not  like  to  lose 
his  best  scholars.  And,  Hannah,  it  is  only 
postponing  your  opportunities." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  oh  dear !  you  don't  know 
how  hard  it  is  for  one  to  get  on  as  far  as  I 
have  done,  and  then  give  up  :  but  of  course  I 
must  do  as  papa  and  you  think  best,  only  "  — 

"  Don't  hesitate  to  say  whatever  you  wish, 
dear,"  said  Dr.  Gordon. 

"  Only,  I  did  think  Mr.  Percy  would  take 
my  part." 

Both  gentlemen  smiled  at  Hannah's  ear 
nestness  ;  and  Mr.  Percy  said,  "  I  am  taking 
your  part,  Hannah.  If  Lydia  Harris  had  left 
school  a  year  ago,  and  rested,  she  might,  she 
probably  would,  have  been  with  us  now." 

"  And  your  education  is  not  to  be  suspended, 
my  dear,"  said  her  father.  "  You  shall  take 
lessons  from  your  mother  in  domestic  matters, 
and  you  shall  take  drawing  and  music  lessons 

also.     These,  with  large  allowance  of  exercise, 
17 


258  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

will  fill  up  your  time  ;  and,  when  spring  comes, 
we  shall  have  a  really  strong,  healthy  girl  to 
send  to  Mr.  Percy ;  and,  if  he  can  keep  you  in 
his  school  till  you  are  twenty,  I  for  one  shall 
be  glad." 

"  Mamma,"  said  Hannah,  when  she  was 
talking  over  this  matter  with  her  afterwards, 
"  I  mean  to  try  and  be  cheerful  and  happy 
about  staying  at  home  this  winter ;  but  none 
of  you  know  how  hard  it  is.  I  thought  I  had 
had  disappointments  before  ;  but  none  of  them 
were  ever  quite  like  this,  there  are  so  many 
things,  —  love  of  study  (for  I  do  love  it),  the 
pleasure  it  gives  to  be  with  Helen  and  the 
others,  and  —  well,  I  suppose  a  little,  per 
haps  a  good  deal,  of  ugly  pride  and  ambition 
come  in  too.  It  is  hard,  oh !  very  hard,  to 
step  down  into  a  lower  class,  and  be  on  equal 
ity  with  those  who  have  always  been  below 
me." 

"  Yes,  we  know  that  it  is  ;  but  you  have  lived 
long  enough,  Hannah,  to  feel  sure  that  what 
we  like  most  to  do  is  not  always  the  best  for 
us ;  and,  as  for  the  ugly  pride,  the  sooner  that 


ANOTHER   CRUST.  259 

is  put  aside,  the  better  for  you  and  every  one. 
Besides,  your  father  says  you  need  not  go 
back  to  Mr.  Percy's  school,  if  you  are  very 
averse  to  it.  Some  other  arrangement  can  be 
made  for  you  to  go  on  with  your. education,  if 
it  seems  best." 

Hannah  looked  first  pleased,  then  thought 
ful  ;  and  finally  an  expression  of  indignation 
crossed  her  honest  face,  and  she  said,  "  That 
would  be  a  mean  thing  for  me  to  do,  to  leave 
Mr.  Percy,  whom  I  like  so  much,  just  because 
I  haven't  the  moral  courage  to  begin  where  I 
left  off !  Don't  trouble  about  me,  mamma.  I 
shall  be  able  to  eat  this  crust  of  bread  too,  if 
I  bite  hard  enough.  Perhaps  it  will  stick  a 
little  in  my  throat  going  down ;  but,  after  that 
process  is  over,  it  will  be  all  right,  I  dare  say. 
I'm  not  going  to  be  your  and  papa's  daughter, 
and  Frank's  sister,  in  vain." 

"  I'm  very  glad  you  take  such  a  sensible 
view  of  it,  Hannah  ;  and  now,  as  to  your  lessons 
in  housework,  you  are  soon  to  have  a  rare 
opportunity.  Bridget  wants  a  month's  rest; 
and  I  have  decided,  if  you  are  willing, *to  get 


260  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

along  without  any  one  to  supply  her  place, 
and  we  will  do  the  cooking,  at  least  all  that 
Sarah  cannot  do." 

"  I  should  like  that  very  much.  I  want  to 
learn  to  work.  I  used  to  think  all  such  work 
dreadful ;  but  being  so  much  with  Aunt 
Mary  has  taught  me  better.  She  has  only  a 
*  little  marchioness,'  as  Howard  Grey  calls  her 
Jane,  to  help  her ;  and  how  nice  every  thing  is 
there,  and  how  cultivated  and  refined  she  is ! 
And  now  that  our  house  is  in  such  good  order, 
and  looks  so  pretty  and  tasteful,  it  will  be  a 
pleasure  to  keep  it  so.  Mamma,  how  much 
good  that  legacy  has  done  already  !  Your  im 
provements  won't  eat  it  all  up,  I'm  sure." 


SIXTEEN.  261 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SIXTEEN. 

FT^HE  young  readers  of  this  brief  record  of 
-*-  two  years  of  trial  and  pleasure,  of  strife 
and  victory,  in  Hannah  Gordon's  life,  who  have 
ever  met  with  a  disappointment  similar  to  that 
related  in  the  last  chapter,  will  know  fully  how 
to  sympathize  with  her  feelings.  It  was  no 
light  cross  she  was  called  upon  to  bear ;  and  it 
was  the  heavier  to  her,  because  she  felt  well 
and  strong,  or,  as  she  expressed  it,  "  equal  to 
any  thing."  But  two  years  of  varied  disci 
pline,  and  earnest  effort  on  her  own  part  to 
improve  that  discipline,  had  not  been  without 
a  marked  effect  upon  her  character.  Conse 
quently,  after  the  first  severe  struggle  was 
over,  she  threw  herself  with  zeal  and  interest 
into  the  course  marked  out  for  her  for  the 
winter-months.  During  Bridget's  absence. 


262  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

she  became  initiated  in  the  mysteries  of  bak 
ing,  boiling,  and  roasting,  as  well  as  the  lighter 
arts  or  accomplishments  of  cookery :  and  she 
kept  up  the  knowledge  acquired,  by  occasional 
practice  during  the  winter,  on  the  busy  days 
which  come  to  every  household;  for  her 
mother  had  told  her  that  it  was  very  little  use 
for  her  to  learn  any  branch  of  art  and  labor, 
and  then  give  it  up  entirely.  Mrs.  Gordon 
did  not  look  forward  to  Hannah's  devoting 
her  time  chiefly  to  such  domestic  pursuits ; 
but  she  did  wish  her  to  have  a  knowledge  of 
such,  as  an  essential  part  of  her  education. 
She  also  made  very  good  progress  in  music 
and  drawing.  She  had  a  good  deal  of  natural 
talent  for  the  latter  accomplishment ;  and  her 
father  promised  her  all  the  advantages  he 
could  command  for  her  in  cultivating  it. 

So  occupied,  the  months  sped  swiftly  on, 
and  the  time  drew  near  for  the  spring-term  of 
Mr.  Percy's  school ;  and,  when  her  father 
asked  her  if  she  wished  to  attend  it  again,  or 
go  to  some  other  of  equal  reputation,  she  did 
not  hesitate  a  moment. 


SIXTEEN.  263 

"  If  I  thought  it  mean  last  autumn  to  leave 
Mr.  Percy,"  she  said,  "when  I  was  tingling  all 
over  with  disappointment  and  mortified  pride, 
I  think  it  would  be  meaner,  meanest,  to  do  so 
now,  after  looking  at  it  in  the  light  of  my 
'  vast  experience,'  gathered  during  the  winter. 
There  are  alleviations,  too,  to  my  lot.  Helen 
dropped  the  languages  last  autumn,  and  we 
are  to  go  on  with  them  together;  and,  as 
for  the  rest,  I  believe  I'm  equal  to  '  facing  the 
situation.' ' 

And  she  was  fully  equal  to  it ;  for  her  whole 
air  and  bearing  now  told  that  she  had  acquired 
a  degree  of  self-assurance,  as  far  as  possible 
removed  from  self-conceit,  which  enabled  her 
to  take  her  own  gauge,  and  not  be  intimidated 
or  overawed  by  the  false  pretensions  or  as 
sumption  of  "  the  girls."  But  they  had  no 
wish  to  slight  or  annoy  her  now  ;  or,  rather, 
Eva  and  Flora,  who  had  always  headed  the  fac 
tion  in  Mr.  Percy's  school,  who  had  embodied 
the  ideas  represented  by  the  phrase  "  the 
girls,"  had  no  such  wish ;  and  their  example 
w.i.s  followed  by  the  others. 


264  STRIVING   AND   GAINING. 

A  deep  and  lasting  impression  had  been 
made  upon  Eva  and  Flora  —  an  impression 
commenced  with  Eva  by  the  sad  and  un 
timely  death  of  her  brother  Alfred  —  by  the 
consistent  loveliness  of  the  last  months  of 
Lydia  Harris's  life,  and  by  the  few  words  fitly 
spoken  by  Miss  Eliott  on  the  day  of  her 
funeral.  They  had  both  determined  never 
knowingly  again  to  pain  by  neglect,  or  cruel, 
taunting  words,  any  one  of  their  associates, 
who,  though  in  a  different  social  position  from 
themselves,  might  possess  sensitive  and  refined 
feelings ;  or  to  annoy  and  tease,  as  they  hud 
Hannah  Gordon,  one  who  only  lacked  wealth 
to  make  her,  in  many  respects,  their  superior. 

But  Anna  was  incorrigible.  She  had  made 
her  choice  in  life,  and  she  meant  to  abide  by  it. 
*l)ress  and  fashion  were  her  gods  ;  and  to  them 
she  bowed  in  earnest  worship.  She  was  now 
seventeen,  had  left  school,  and  was  already 
launched  upon  a  career  of  frivolity  which 
would  inevitably  make  an  early  wreck  of  her 
youth  and  beauty.  But  she  gained  what  she 
sought  for.  Society  opened  wide  arms  of  wel- 


SIXTEEN.  265 

come  to  her ;  and  that  world  that  could  not 
appreciate  the  gifts  and  graces  of  Lydia  Har 
ris,  joyfully  received  Anna,  with  her  appanage 
of  wealth  and  fashion.  But  it  was  a  limited 
world,  after  all,  that  received  her,  —  the  world 
that  feeds  upon  fruit  fair  to  the  eye,  but 
within  filled  with  ashes  and  bitterness ;  a 
world  into  whose  vortex  we  dread  to  think 
of  the  young,  in  whom  centre  the  deepest  love 
of  our  hearts  and  the  hopes  of  our  country  for 
its  future  welfare,  being  drawn. 

It  was  in  reference  to  Anna  Blake,  and  the 
world  to  which  she  belonged,  that  Mr.  Percy 
said  to  Dr.  Gordon,  "  Over-study  is  not  the 
only  or  the  worst  evil  of  our  day :  over-dress 
and  dissipation  are  doing  a  more  fearful  work 
still." 

"  That  I  grant,"  replied  Dr.  Gordon  ;  "  but 
one  evil  never  did,  or  never  can,  palliate  or 
excuse  another.  Rather  because  Folly,  in  cap 
and  bells,  or  with  the  bravery  of  tinkling  orna 
ments,  chains  and  bracelets,  bonnets  and  head 
bands,  ear-rings  and  rings,  changeable  suits  of 
apparel,  mantles  and  wimples,  crisping-pins 


266  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

and  fine  linen,  <fec.  &c.  (I  quote  from  mem 
ory,  you  perceive),  thins  the  ranks  of  life,  do 
we  need  still  more,  as  a  counteracting  influ 
ence,  clear  minds  in  strong  bodies  ;  and  these 
we  shall  never  get,  in  any  proportion  to  the 
wealth  of  material  we  possess  in  our  children, 
until  a  new  system  of  education  is  adopted." 

Hannah  was  at  least  a  convincing  proof  of 
the  wisdom  of  her  father's  course,  adopted 
almost,  it  is  true,  at  the  eleventh  hour. 
Bravely  putting  down  all  false  pride  at  being 
obliged  to  go  into  a  lower  class  in  school,  she 
entered  upon  her  studies  when  the  spring- 
term  commenced,  with  a  zest  and  earnestness 
to  which  she  had  heretofore  been  a  stranger. 
Study,  once  such  a  weariness  to  the  flesh  in 
spite  of  her  love  of  it,  was  now  a  positive 
enjoyment;  and  she  could  easily  have  out 
stripped  her  class,  and  regained  her  standing 
in  the  old  one,  but  she  knew  that  it  would  not 
be  her  father's  wish  that  she  should  do  so : 
and,  whatever  her  misgivings  had  been  as  to 
his  correct  judgment  in  her  case,  she  had  none 
now,  and  was  prepared  cheerfully  to  follow  his 


SIXTEEN.  267 

plan  for  the  completion  of  her  school-edu 
cation.  With  good  principles,  good  temper, 
good  talents,  and  good  health,  a  good  career  in 
life  is  before  her.  Is  not  such  a  career  more 
to  be  desired  than  one  of  meteoric  brilliancy, 
which  flashes  brightly  upon  the  vision,  and 
then,  descending,  is  lost,  at  least  to  mortal 
view,  in  darkness  for  ever? 

Aunt  Maria  has  become  a  decided  convert 
to  "  Frank's  odd  views  of  education  "  as  she 
called  her  brother's  ideas  upon  the  subject, 
and  to  other  odd  views  of  his  also.  She  al 
ways  will  attach,  perhaps,  a  little  undue  im 
portance  to  the  "  world  "  and  its  fashions  ;  but 
she  is  fully  convinced  that  life  has  higher 
claims  upon  her,  and  she,  too,  is  striving  to 
meet  these  claims. 

Aunt  Mary  goes  on  in  her  old  unobtrusive 
course  of  self-sacrifice  and  kindness ;  and, 
though  the  visions  of  her  early  youth  are  un 
fulfilled,  her  life  is  one  of  quiet  and  serene 
enjoyment. 

Frank  and  Howard  Grey  are  in  college  to 
gether,  and  theirs  bids  fair  to  be  one  of  those 


268  STRIVING    AND   GAINING. 

strong  and  lasting  friendships  which  will  en 
dure  through  life,  and  which  are  so  beautiful 
to  look  upon  in  boy  and  man.  Neither  has 
Hannah  lost  her  friend ;  for  "  the  girls  "  have 
learned  to  respect  her  wishes,  and  to  give  up 
the  senseless  folly  which  sees  only  a  "  beau  " 
in  every  young  lad  or  man. 

Of  Helen  Ashton  little  remains  to  be  said. 
Of  an  equable  temperament,  good  constitution, 
and  surrounded  by  every  influence  favorable 
to  the  healthy  development  of  her  powers  of 
mind  and  heart,  she  has  not  only  thus  far 
escaped  much  of  the  strife  which  is  the  inevi 
table  portion  of  temperaments  like  Hannah 
Gordon's,  but  is  well  armed  to  encounter  any 
adverse  circumstances  in  the  future. 

Mrs.  Brown  has  kept  her  promise.  Her 
home  retains  the  "  shine  "  our  young  workers 
gave  it  in  their  labor  of  love,  and  her  o\vn 
face  shares  in  the  brightness.  As  for  Tommy, 
he  is  as  happy  an  urchin  as  Wellwood  limits 
can  produce,  and  bids  fair  to  be  a  good,  indus 
trious  man. 

Our  story  commenced  with  Hannah's  triiils, 


SIXTEEN.  269 

and  it  is  but  just  that  it  should  close  with 
her  present  views  of  them.  It  is  her  six 
teenth  birthday,  which  she  has  begged  her 
mother  might  be  celebrated  by  an  afternoon 
party  for  Emma.  Running  up  to  the  nursery, 
which  has  been  repainted  and  papered  since 
our  first  introduction  to  her  there  two  years 
ago,  and  which  has  a  bright,  cheery  aspect 
generally,  she  finds  her  father  standing  by  the 
window,  lost  in  thought  as  absorbing  as  hers 
had  been  that  afternoon. 

"  No  sober  looks,  papa,  upon  my  sixteenth 
birthday,"  she  said,  coming  up  and  putting 
her  arms  around  him  lovingly.  "  Do  you  re 
member  my  croaks  about  my  trials  two  years 
ago,  and  how  I  used  to  fret  and  groan  and 
s.ulk  over  them  at  other  times?  Don't  you 
think  I've  learned  to  '  hop  skip '  pretty  well 
since,  as  you  advised  me  to  ?  The  mountains 
were  mole-hills,  most  of  them,  after  all. 
though  I  never  felt  quite  sure  of  it  till  —  till 
that  winter  you  and  mamma  were  away,  and 
darling  Ella  left  us,  and  I  had  so  many  real 
trials.  0  papa,  I  used  to  think  my  heart 


270  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

would  almost  break.  I  was  so  sick  and 
good  for  nothing,  and  so  anxious  about 
you." 

"  Poor  child !  it  was  a  hard  winter  for  you, 
but  you  did  bravely,  and  you  have  done  brave 
ly  these  two  years  ;  and  now,  I  hope,  you  will 
find  life  more  full  of  sunshine,  because  you 
know  what  real  grief  is,  and  will  not  any  lon 
ger  make  mountains  of  mole-hills." 

"  Sunshine !  it's  all  sunshine,  papa.  I  feel 
so  well  and  strong  and  happy,  and  everybody 
at  home  and  abroad  that  I  care  for  is  so  good 
and  kind.  Jack,  —  only  think,  papa,  how 
changed  he  is  in  so  many  ways ;  and  Emma, 
who  used  to  be  so  teasing  and  disagreeable, 
has  improved  so  much ;  and  mainma  is  so 
much  stronger  and  brighter  than  she  used  to 
be.  Why,  the  world  is  full  of  sunshine !  " 

"  Yes,  dear ;  and  the  change  in  Jack  and 
Emma  is  owing  to  your  patience  and  forbear 
ance  with  them,  more  than  any  other  cause. 
You  have  not  striven  in  vain ;  and,  in  con 
quering  yourself,  you  have  conquered  others 
also." 


SIXTEEN.  271 

"  Oh  !  thank  you,  papa,  for  saying  that.  The 
hardest  home  struggle  I've  had  has  been  to  be 
patient  with  Emma,  so  unlike  Ella  as  she  was 
and  is ;  but  she's  a  good,  kind  little  girl  now, 
and  I'm  very  glad  you  and  mamma  let  her 
have  this  party.  But  I  cannot  stop  to  chat 
even  with  you,  papa,  but  must  go  and  make 
my  arrangements,  as  Mrs.  Brown  says."  She 
danced  gayly  out  of  the  room,  followed  by  the 
loving  and  admiring  eyes  of  her  father.  He 
may  be  pardoned  for  thinking,  How  lovely  she 
is !  For  what  is  more  lovely  than  a  young 
girl  standing  on  the  verge  of  womanhood,  her 
countenance  beaming  with  health  and  hap 
piness,  her  form  elastic  with  grace  and  the 
"  life  she  feels  in  every  limb,"  enjoying  with 
almost  equal  zest  innocent  pleasures  and 
grave  duties? 

Not  that  all  struggle  was  over  for  her ;  but 
the  habit  was  gained,  she  knew  who  was  the 
Way,  and,  thus  aided,  she  might  hope  to  reach 
the  heights  on  heights  of  excellence  and  vir 
tue  which  would  rise  before  her  as  she  jour 
neyed  onward. 


272  STRIVING   AND  GAINING. 

Looking  at  her  thus,  in  her  innocence  of 
heart  and  purity  of  life,  Dr.  Gordon  said  in 
low  and  reverent  tones,  "  He  that  oyercometh 
shall  be  clothed  in  white  raimeut." 


THE   END. 


23445 


IBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000784268    5 


